A Reluctant Shinigami Student
by Grinja
Summary: Ichigo gets a summons to Soul Society and is forced to join a squad. Hichigo still wants control, and whichever he picks he's bound to leave a trail of chaos and possibly one of broken hearts from his admirers.
1. Chapter 1

My first ever fanfic on this site. Please be kind and R&R! I have the first few chapters laid out in my mind, then I'll be writing as inspiration strikes me. I'm not opposed to writing in suggested elements if they fit with the plot.

Notes: This takes place before Orihime is kidnapped by Aizen, after he fights Grimmjow, and before vaizard training. _Please note character thoughts will be written in italics_**. **_**Ichi's hollow will be in bold italics.**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Tite Kubo is the owner and has created something good for us all to enjoy.

--

Ichigo sat in the classroom staring at the clock. The final bell at Karakura High could not ring soon enough for the substitute shinigami. It was a Friday and after spending all his time hunting hollows at ungodly hours and studying for the weeks exams he needed some rest and relaxation. The threat of an arrancar attack looming over his head every night did not make it any easier. Ichigo paid no attention to his surroundings and as he daydreamed about how to spend his weekend a loud buzz indicated that he was free until Monday. Grabbing his bags Ichigo made a beeline for the exits.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime yelled as she raced to catch up with him as he walked out of the school's front entrance. She had noticed just how distant he'd been since the arrancar attacks had nearly killed her, Tatsuki, Chad, and Rukia. It seemed like he had been avoiding them all as of late.

"Oh hey Inoue" Ichigo replied, doing his best to force a smile. Orihime noticed that while he smiled his eyes looked distant and empty.

"Ummm if you aren't doing anything this weekend, Tatsuki and I were thinking about going to the movies, and we'd love it if you tagged along."

_Do I want to spend time alone this weekend, or hang out with my friends? I can't even face them after I failed to protect them. They almost died, and not because I wasn't strong enough to defeat the enemy, but because I wasn't strong enough to control myself. _

"I'll have to see if my dad has anything planned for the weekend. If not I'll let you know. I do have to get home to take care of some stuff so I'll catch you later." Ichigo knew it was a lie, his father would be spending time doing various things around the clinic this weekend because of a surge in patients, but he needed an easy out without hurting her feelings.

"Ohhh" was all Orihime could muster, trying not to sound too depressed. As Ichigo walked away she could see Tatsuki approaching her.

"So how'd it go Orihime?"

"He said he needed to ask his dad if they were going anywhere this weekend."

Tatsuki sighed and looked at the slight frown on her best friend. _Ichigo really is an idiot. How can he not see it? Is he that oblivious or does he just not like her as anything more then a friend?_

"I'm sorry Orihime. He seems like he has a lot on his mind lately. Maybe we can check up and hopefully Kurosaki-san isn't taking them anywhere. I know he'd have a really good time with us."

"Thank you Tatsuki."

Orihime and Tatsuki left the school together, wondering if Ichigo would bother to come out with them.

--

As Ichigo made it to the front door he stopped and listened for the threat he always had to deal with when he made his way home.

_I don't hear the old man. Maybe he's not here. I really don't feel like being attacked again today._

Ichigo opened the door quietly and stepped inside. He scanned the room for signs of an imminent attack. Seeing no sign of the old man he relaxed a bit as he made his way to the stairs.

"HAH! I've caught you off guard!"

Ichigo barely had time to react as his father's flying kick connected to his midsection, causing him to fall back several steps and grab his side.

"What the hell dad! What kind of crazy man kicks his own son when he gets home from school!"

"I have to keep your reflexes shar-" was all Isshin could get out of his mouth before Ichigo launched his own kick to the man's stomach, bouncing him off the wall.

"You're getting so strong my son, I'm so proud of you!"

With those words Isshin ran and kneeled in front of his shrine to Masaki.

"Oh my dear Masaki, he's growing up so fast! Soon I won't be able to teach him anymore!"

"Would you can it dad! I'm going to my room!"

Ichigo left his father to yell about him to his mother's portrait and made his way to his room.

_Strange, Rukia isn't here yet. I didn't notice her after school either._

At the moment all Ichigo wanted to do was forget his problems. He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. With fatigue setting in, he closed his eyes and quickly dozed off into a dream.

--

Ichigo stood before Grimmjow, beaten and battered, bleeding from several slashes. He was breathing heavy, leaning on Zangetsu for support.

"You think a pissant shinigami like you is gonna beat me?" Grimmjow laughed maniacally. "What a joke! I don't even need my zanpakuto against your bankai. You're pathetic!"

Grimmjow reached forward and started to pummel Ichigo with his fists. Shot after shot hit him in the face and gut. Grimmjow stopped and caught him by the front of his shihakushou, watching as Ichigo coughed up a large amount of blood.

"You ready to die shinigami?"

A cero started to form in Grimmjaw's free hand, the red light turning his smile into something from a horror film. Suddenly the voice of his inner hollow he had tried so hard to suppress was back in his mind.

_**I'm taking over. Its clear you lack the will or skill to win. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have even beaten that Kuchiki clown. This guy looks like fun so I think I'll have to enjoy myself. Have a good time being stuck in your own mind!**_

As Ichigo felt himself falling into his inner world, a more familiar voice could be faintly heard.

"Ichigo wake up!"

--

Ichigo woke with a start, rising out of his bed and almost knocking his head against Rukia's. Seeing her presence he looked around, and noticed he was sweating and breathing hard.

"Rukia whats going on?"

"Looks like you were having a bad dream Ichigo, I had to shake you to wake you up" Rukia looked at him carefully, the worry clearly written on her face. She too had noticed how distant he'd become since their near death experience at the hands of the arrancars.

"Oh" was all he could muster himself to say.

"Ichigo, what were you dreaming about? I've never seen you like that before."

"I don't remember" trying his best to lie. He clearly remembered his dream, and it scared the hell out of the orange haired teen.

Rukia shot him a glance full of worry and decided to let the matter drop, giving Ichigo time to work it out in his own mind and come to her when he was ready to talk. She sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed.

"So where have you been Rukia? You usually get home when I do. Did you have something important to do?" Ichigo tried changing the subject.

"Actually, yeah I did. I got a call from Soul Society with new orders."

Ichigo was suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"Oh, what do they want us to do now? We're already working ourselves to death keeping up with hollows and arrancar attacks, schoolwork, and training. What the hell else could they ask us?"

"Not us Ichigo, you. You've been asked to come to Soul Society and speak to Yamamoto sou-taicho. I've been ordered to remain here with Renji and continue to monitor the situation."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT? You mean I'm going all alone? You know that nut bag Kenpachi is gonna try to hunt me down and force me to fight him again if he catches wind of it, and your brother will come up with one of his jerk comments like 'you don't belong here Kurosaki, go home.'"

"Nii-sama is NOT a jerk Ichigo! I'm sure you can continue to find ways to avoid Zaraki taicho. I don't think you'll be there very long anyways. Yamamoto sou-taicho probably just wants to make sure you're developing well for the upcoming battles."

Ichigo didn't look very convinced. He knew Soul Society was aware of his battle against an espada, but he was sure they didn't know about his hollow. Only Byakuya Kuchiki had witnessed those powers, and briefly at that. He hoped so at least.

"Yeah I guess you're right Rukia" Ichigo said unconvinced. "When do they want me to come?"

"As soon as you get the message Ichigo. You should leave soon, Urahara should be informed by now and ready to open the gate for you."

"What, tonight? Damnit I wanted to relax. Oh well, I guess I'll get it over with and be back by tonight. Where the hell is Kon? I'll have to have him watch my body."

The minute the mod soul heard his name called he jumped out from under Ichigo's bed and headed straight for Rukia's chest.

"Neeeeeeeeeeeeeee-san!" Kon yelled, his plushie paws attempting to lock onto her breasts.

Rukia knew what was coming and grabbed him from midair and threw him down on the bed.

"Behave yourself Kon, or I'll take Yuzu out to the doll store to buy some cute girly outfits for you."

Before Kon could say anything Ichigo pulled the soul candy from the toy and popped it into his mouth, separating his soul.

"Ok Kon, I'm trusting you with my body again, and I BETTER not hear about you trying anything perverted this time when I get back, or I'm going to have Ishida sew a bonnet on your head after Rukia lets Yuzu dress you up nice and pretty."

"Alright alright! I won't do anything dirty I promise! I'll just hang out and read some manga. You won't be long right?"

Ichigo frowned at this. "I don't know, I hope not. I'm not in the mood to deal with this kinda stuff today. Rukia make sure my dad doesn't do anything stupid while I'm gone and that Karin and Yuzu are alright."

"Gotcha covered Ichigo. Better hurry so Urahara isn't left waiting too long."

"Catch you later midget."

Ichigo gave her a small smile before jumping out of his window and heading to Urahara's.

--

By the time Ichigo arrived at the eccentric inventor's Urahara was already waiting outside, cane in hand, the other holding his customary fan in front of his face to hide a grin.

"Ahhhh to what do I owe this pleasure? Is there anything I can help you with today Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"You know exactly why I'm here, just open the damn senkaimon so I can get there and get the hell back."

"My my aren't you in such a hurry? I guess theres no time for pleasantries then."

Urahara led him through the shoten and down into the familiar training grounds where Ichigo had first learned the name of Zangetsu. The bright sky overhead reminded him of the grueling days he'd spent there getting his ass kicked in an attempt to make him strong enough to rescue the person who'd changed his life for the better. Thankfully it had. It also reminded him that his inner hollow was born here as well, the one he was now desperately trying to beat in a war of wills.

_It feels like it was so long ago, but in reality it was just a few months ago. I've come far since then, but now I have to go so much farther. I wonder if Urahara realizes what I've become._

As the gate was prepared for opening, Ichigo felt that he could ask his mentor Urahara for a heads up.

"So what do you think the old man wants to see me about? Why would they call me alone? I would've felt better if Rukia or Renji was accompanying me."

"I couldn't tell you, but its not surprising that they would take an interest in you with your level of power. Its rare for someone of your caliber who isn't a noble to come along and not end up as part of the Gotei 13." Urahara's devious smile made Ichigo wonder if the former taicho of the 12th Division knew more then he was letting on.

As he finished the portal, Kisuke gave a wave of his hand.

"Its open. Don't worry about security, they know you're coming. I'll make sure nothing happens while you're gone."

With a final glance to the man who taught him more then anyone, Ichigo jumped through the gate and began the trek through the senkaimon and into Soul Society.

--

Upon exiting the gate into the Seireitei Ichigo was immediately escorted by two shinigami to the 1st Divison headquarters. As he passed the various tapestries, each emblazoned with the number of a Gotei 13 division on it, he started to become nervous. When they finally reached their destination and he was told to wait outside until he was summoned, Ichigo stood outside the door to Yamamoto sou-taicho's office with his arms crossed, a worried look spread across his face.

_They couldn't know right? Theres just no way they could know_. _There has to be another reason I'm here._

As he quietly thought to himself, a familiar voice came into his thoughts.

_**Whaddya worried about King? Afraid they might find out about me? Afraid they might find out you're losing this battle of wills against me? That I might take over and turn you into a hollow? That I'm strong enough to be as big a threat to them as Aizen is? Don't worry, if they try to kill ya I'll step in and beat them all.**_

_Shut the hell up! I don't need your help. I won't lose, I can't lose. I'm not gonna give in to you. Only I can fight my battles, not you._

_**Tchhh, suit yourself King. At the rate you're going you won't be King much longer. There's a lot of strong people here to fight, I'd have some serious fun.**_

Ichigo didn't know how to respond to that other side him. What worried him the most was that his hollow was right. If he didn't learn some control soon he was in serious danger of losing himself to his other half. Before he could contemplate further a familiar looking man with short white hair grabbed his attention.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, the sou-taicho will see you now."

"Ahh thank you, I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Chojiro Sasakibe. This way please."

Ichigo suddenly remembered the man as one he had knocked out on top of Sokyoku Hill as he covered for Renji and Rukia's escape.

_I wish they were here for me now. What the hell could they want with me?_

Ichigo watched as the large wooden doors opened up to the 1st Division meeting room. As he stepped inside his breath caught in his throat. All of the captains were there in their standard spots. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to him as he walked in towards Yamamoto sou-taicho. To say he was nervous in their presence with no backup was an understatement.

"Ichigo Kurosaki" the sou-taicho began "it has come to our attention that you have become a very valuable asset to the future of the Gotei 13 and to Soul Society. Due to your talents and diligence in protecting the living world, we have decided that you should join one of the 13 divisions to round out your experiences and learn the proper procedures and conduct of a shinigami. We realize that you are still a living soul with responsibilities so you will only be expected to be here and learn on weekends or when available. You may talk to each taicho to get a feel for each squad before picking one to join."

Ichigo saw the expressions of some of the taichos upon this announcement. Zaraki and his murderous grin, Kurotsuchi sizing him up with those inhuman eyes, Soifon with a curious glance, and Unohana with a serene smile. Only two words came to his mind.

_Awwww crap._


	2. Chapter 2

The first chapter is always the hardest to write for me. Now that its out of the way I can dive into the plot. Enjoy!

--

Ichigo stood frozen in place, pondering the wild possibilities conjured by his mind at the old man's announcement.

_Every weekend? HERE? How the hell am I gonna avoid Kenpachi then? I bet he really is crazy enough to fight me again, to the death. If my hollow comes out again, I'm going to be screwed. There's no way they won't detect that kind of reiatsu. Lucky for me the Seireitei was in chaos when I was fighting Byakuya. _

Noticing the dumbstruck look on the teen's face, Yamamoto continued with his speech.

"Due to the conditions of Divisions 3, 5, and 9, you will not be able to choose one of them as an assignment. I would prefer you to learn from a taicho. Since this was the last order of business at this meeting, we will be able to discuss your future with you. Will each taicho please approach Ichigo and give a description of yourself and your division?"

The first to approach was a grinning Mayuri, dressed in his typical mad scientist garb.

"I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the premier scientific genius of the Seireitei and taicho of the 12th Division. We are responsible for all of the technology in Soul Society as well as monitoring the living world. Your soul pager, soul badge, and most everything you've seen shinigami use was engineered by us. You would be an interesting research subject to study. While I can't promise you there won't be pain involved, you could help us learn a great deal."

While Mayuri spoke as though his division was the greatest thing ever, all of the other taichos looked uneasy at the thought of him 'experimenting' on the boy. If the way he treated his fukataicho and seated officers was any indication, such an experience would be far from pleasant. They didn't want a run in with Mayuri to cloud his judgments or shape him in any way.

_No way in hell am I signing on with that circus freak. I'd probably wake up missing body parts. If he finds out about my hollow I may never see the light of day again._

They went down the line. Next to approach was Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Ichigo, the 10th Division specializes in large scale missions in Soul Society and the living world as well as hollow patrols. You've been around Matsumoto and myself enough to see us in action and get a good feel for our division."

_I know Toshiro and Rangiku well enough and I get along with them. They're one of the better choices. I think I can trust them._

Next was infamous Shunsui Kyoraku, the only man with the fashion sense to wear a pink haori.

"Well well Ichigo, I am Shunsui Kyoraku, and the 8th Division consists of shinigami with a wide variety of talents and skills. We don't adhere to any one style. Our main purpose is to quickly reinforce other divisions where needed, but we also run our own missions. Your background makes you an excellent candidate for the 8th, and you could get quite a balanced education here."

_Sounds like another good choice, but what the hell is with that outfit?_

Byakuya Kuchiki followed and gave him a stern look as he stepped forward.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, the 6th Division is devoted to the protection of Soul Society and its laws. I expect every member of my division to be dignified and obey the laws, and have the discipline and drive to reach their potential."

Ichigo inwardly groaned as he could hear his inner hollow laugh.

_**Hey King, I bet you'd feel real safe in the 6th. We already know we can beat him and he's already seen me even though I don't think he realizes what I am. On the other hand, I wonder what he'd do to you if he found out his precious sister was living in your closet? **_

As Byakuya stepped back into the line, Unohana stepped forward with a smile.

"Ichigo, the 4th Division specializes in support activity, our main focus is using healing techniques to assist wounded shinigami and insuring their safe return to their divisions. We also provide logistical services as well to make sure everything runs smoothly."

Ichigo felt oddly comfortable in this woman's presence, and made a note to consider the 4th even if he didn't know a thing about healing or kido. Hanatoro might be happy to see him and show him the ropes as well.

_**Hey King, she's pretty good looking. She's got that nice, experienced older woman vibe going on. You like that sort of thing? I bet she could make you forget about me for awhile and teach you more then just healing.**_

_Would you shut the hell up! I'm not a pervert like you. You're not making this any easier._

Soifon was next to stand in front of him, with a confident and cocky smirk.

"I am Soifon taicho of the 2nd Division as well as the Stealth Force. We specialize in undercover missions, information gathering, and clandestine operations. We train extensively in hoho and hakuda. You should join and learn from me, I know Lady Yoruichi was one of your mentors so I'm curious to see just how good you are."

_**Oh look, another hottie. Kinda petite but then again I think you have a thing for that body type. Don't think I haven't noticed you checking out Rukia. This one would definitely wear the pants in the relationship and maybe thats what you need for your first time. All that hand to hand training, I bet she's good with em. **_

_Thats it, I'm done talking to you. I can't believe you're a part of me. _

Ichigo hoped Soifon went back to her spot before a blush could creep onto his face. Fortunately for him the next taicho stepped up.

"I am Sajin Komamura, taicho of the 7th Division. My division is responsible for policing and protecting Rukongai, as well as the Seireitei. Please consider joining my division, Iba fukataicho and I could teach you a great deal."

Before Komamura could walk back to his spot, Kenpachi Zaraki, the main reason he had feared coming to Soul Society was up in face, grinner wider then he'd ever seen before.

"Well well Ichigo, when are you gonna come and fight me again? My sword is getting dull here with no one willing to fight me. An epic fight, to the death!"

Yamamoto sou-taicho took the opportunity to chastise him at his words.

"Zaraki taicho you are supposed to be giving him a reason to join your division, not scare him away!" Yamamoto looked directly at Ichigo as he continued. "Besides, you know it is illegal for a man to kill his own subordinates unless he has been challenged for his spot as taicho."

_Illegal to kill his own subordinates huh? I wonder if they had to enact that law because of him._

"Tchh, whatever. The 11th is the strongest division in Soul Society, and we love combat. We lead the way when it comes to battle. You're strong and you belong here."

Last but not least came Jushiro Ukitake. The often sick man stepped forward with a genuinely friendly smile.

"Ichigo, its been awhile. As you may know from Rukia, the 13th Division sends out patrols into Soul Society and the living world to hunt down hollows. We're a well rounded squad. Kiyone, Sentarou, and myself would love to have you, we could certainly use your strength."

_He seems like a good guy. Joining his squad would probably make Rukia happy. _

"Now that you have heard what each division has to offer, please think for a moment and make your choice." Yamamoto looked on patiently.

"C'mon Ichigo! Hurry up so I can kill you outside! You're not running away this time."

Kenpachi stood with his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto, eagerly anticipating the fight.

_Damn this is looking bad. He's crazy enough to fight me right here and I have to make a decision. I don't know a thing about kido, so that leaves out the 4th, there's nothing stealthy about me so there goes the 2nd. If Renji was here I'd consider the 6th, but without him and Rukia Byakuya and I would probably be at each others throats before the end of the weekend. Renji would probably hold his rank above my head too. I don't know the taichos of the 7th and 8th very well. The 10th and the 13th seem like the most logical choices for me...hey wait. The old man said its illegal to kill your own subordinates, and I don't think Kenpachi would give a damn about my hollow as long as it was strong. He also won't care that I can't use very many shinigami skills. Its risky, but what the hell, I don't have any better ideas._

"Yamamoto sou-taicho, I've made my decision. I'd like to join the 11th."

Over the next few seconds one would have been able to hear the sound of a pin drop as the taichos considered the implications of the hot-headed ryoka and Zaraki taicho in the same division. It was quickly broken by the loud laughter of Kenpachi. Shunsui leaned over and softly spoke to Toshiro some prophetic words.

"There goes the neighborhood."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My second chapter up! A little shorter then the first, but thats ok. I'm having a lot of fun imagining possibilities for this story. I hope I'm not disappointing you all. Please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Hoping to continue to crank out regular updates, don't make me beg for R&Rs!

Without further delay, chapter 3...

xxxxxxx

Old man Yamamoto sat with his eyes wide open at the ryoka's announcement. He hadn't considered that Ichigo would actually join the 11th. From what he'd heard from the other shinigami the teen had been doing all he could to avoid Kenpachi. Already he could foresee the headaches coming.

"Very well then Ichigo Kurosaki. I cannot say I agree that it was the best choice for you but you are now assigned to the 11th Division. Please do all of us a favor and be on your best behavior and try to learn from some of the other taichos as well. Since this is the last order of business everyone is free to return to their divisions."

As the taichos exited the 1st Division headquarters several of them came up to offer Ichigo advice and encouragement. Shunsui Kyoraku was the first.

"Ichigo, just watch the people around you and follow their lead until you feel comfortable. If you need help or advice Jushiro and I are here to help. If you need some drinking buddies we're here for that as well, I know quite a few nice bars in the Seireitei that are frequented by beautiful women."

As Retsu Unohana left, she smiled at the orange haired shinigami.

"Be careful out there Ichigo, Soul Society has its own hollow attacks. Please try not to get yourself into too much trouble or start fights, there's plenty of 11th Division patients already being cared for."

Finally the current leader of the Stealth Force approached.

"Ashame you didn't choose my division. Those louts in the 11th may know how to swing a zanpakuto but not much else. Lady Yoruichi taught me as well so I'll be paying close attention to your progress so you do not disappoint her and continue to improve."

Ichigo sighed. He didn't know if he'd be able to live up to their high hopes, especially with his hollow threatening to take over almost every day now. He followed Soifon out of the large double doors to the 1st Division meeting area, but the sound of bells alerted him to the large man behind him.

"Forgetting something Ichigo?" Kenpachi grinned.

Ichigo swalled hard and tried to come up with an excuse to get out of this one.

"Ahhh ummm Kenpachi" was all he uttered before he was cut off by the larger man.

"I'm satisfied for today Ichigo. I knew you had the guts to come forth and join my division. You've got a strong fighting spirit, and you wanna be with the best. Since I know you can't run away anymore I'm gonna show you around the barracks and find you a room and rank."

Ichigo let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding. As they walked out of the building a pink blur came from nowhere to land on Zaraki's back.

"Ichiiiii!" yelled Yachiru, happy to see her old 'friend.' "Ken-chan, are you going to fight Ichi now that he's here?"

"Nah, not tonight, I gave him a pass for the day. We get to show Ichigo around the the 11th tonight Yachiru, he's joined our division." Zaraki started to smile again thinking of all the quality fighting time he'd have with Ichigo now.

"Oh wow really? You mean Ichi is gonna be around to play with me like Baldy and Yumi? I bet he has lots of candy from the living world like Boobies gets!"

_Boobies? That has to be Rangiku. I hope I don't get a stupid nickname too._

Yachiru jumped from Kenpachi's back onto Ichigo's as they followed the many confusing stone roads towards the barracks.

"I won't be letting you hog him to yourself. He owes me a fight. I wanna see how strong he's gotten since those arrancar have been showing up. Ikkaku said he had a hell of a fight with one of em."

"Aww ok Ken-chan. But I get to play with Ichi too!"

As they walked along the streets Ichigo noticed every shinigami they came across gave them a wide berth. It was almost dark by the time they made it to the 11th's headquarters. As they entered the main building every shinigami stopped what they were doing to bow to their taicho.

"Welcome back sir!" one nameless division member said. "We've been training since you left for the meeting as you requested."

Kenpachi scanned the central training room, giving every present member of his division a quick glance.

"Excellent. Your training is about to get more difficult because I have some good news. We have a new member and he's a strong son of a bitch. I'm sure you guys will figure that out for yourselves once you challenge him. Ichigo, introduce yourself to my men."

"Ahhhh hey, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki. The sou-taicho said I needed to learn about how Seireitei operates so I'll be here to learn from you all on the weekends."

As he introduced himself the mass of shinigami started to whisper amongst themselves.

"Kurosaki? Isn't he the guy who beat Kuchiki taicho and Ikkaku?"

"I heard he achieved bankai in a few days."

"I overheard Zaraki taicho say he was the first guy he's found worth fighting in years. I even heard that they fought during the ryoka invasion and that Ichigo broke the taicho's zanpakuto."

"Whoa no way? The taicho said that? This guy must be as strong as an ox, we better not piss him off."

Kenpachi cleared his throat and the whispers died out immediately.

"Somebody get their ass down to the office and get the reports, I have to see what positions have become available as of late."

Several men left immediately and returned with the needed reports.

"Sir" one began "currently seats 19, 13, 7, and 4 are temporarily unfilled due to severe injuries or deaths in the line of duty."

"Well then that settles it." Kenpachi's menacing grin returned as he continued. "Ichigo Kurosaki, you are now the 4th Seat of the 11th Division. You're going to help me whip all of these bums into shape. This is gonna be fun."

_**Poor King, stuck babysitting a bunch of wimps. They think you're the one who beat Kuchiki. You'd be dead if I hadn't stepped in. I bet if I popped out right now and flexed my reiatsu they'd piss themselves in fear. Should we test my theory?**_

Ichigo's hand went to his head and his reiatsu levels wavered slightly as he fought off his hollow. Some of the shinigami gave him odd looks as the moment passed and Ichigo returned to normal.

Kenpachi barely noticed as Yachiru slipped off his shoulder and ran out the door.

--

Nanao Ise pushed her glasses into place and stood at the podium in a secret room inside the Kuchiki manor, starting the weekly Shinigami Women's Association meeting.

"Today we are going to discuss our fund raising activities and the content of our monthly newsletter. As you all know with recent deployments to the living world and hollow patrols we've had to have several members pick up the slack. What we're looking for is good story ideas to increase our readership and some sure fire ways to bring in enough money to pay for the Association's annual hot spring outing. Does anyone have any ideas?"

The women murmured to each other as Nanao drummed her fingers on the podium. While they were discussing ideas Yachiru ran into the room and jumped into her seat. Everyone stopped what they were talking about and started at the SWA president.

"President Kusajishi" Nemu began "its not like you to be late for a meeting. Is everything alright?"

"Oh everything is great Nemu! Ichi has come back and he's gonna play with me and Ken-chan!"

"Ichi? Do you mean the ryoka with the giant cleaver like zanpakuto?"

All of the women listened intently at this interesting tidbit of information.

"Thats right! Ichi was told he had to come and join a division and so he decided to come play with Ken-chan and Baldy and Yumi and me!"

Nemu gasped. "You mean Ichigo Kurosaki has joined the 11th Division?"

"Thats right! Ken-chan even made him his new 4th seat! He said the two of them were gonna whip everyone into shape! I haven't seen Ken-chan smile this much in a long time!"

"Its true" Soifon said, grabbing the attention of the other members. "Yamamoto sou-taicho had him come to a meeting where each taicho explained their division and what he could learn from them. For whatever reason he decided on the 11th. I have to admit I was disappointed with his decision, Yoruichi-sama trained him and I wanted to see what he's capable of."

"You may yet have a chance Soifon taicho" Nanao smiled. "I have an idea. Do you remember what our most successful fund raiser was to date?"

"Wasn't it our most eligible bachelors calendar?"

"Exactly. This time however, we need to dedicate the newsletter to a story about Ichigo and his accomplishments. It needs to be sensationalist. Not only that, but we need to rank the top ten most eligible bachelors and get a whole new calendar started. We'll make a fortune." Nanao held her trademark book firmly, excited about the new endeavor.

"I'll get started on the story." Kiyone stood up with an eager look on her face. "I can ask Rukia all kinds of details about what went down. I was on Sokyoku Hill when he came to rescue her. He came alone willing to fight everyone for her, it was so romantic. "

"Alright then Kiyone we'll leave the story to you. The rest of us need to debate and come to a conclusion about just who the ten most eligible bachelors are. I think we'll have a first time entry this year. President Kusajishi, I must ask you to be quiet about this. The better the calendar, the more sweets we can get for the hot spring outing. Keep an eye on Ichigo for any details our readers would love to know about him."

"Alright then I'll keep it a secret! Ken-chan and I are so happy Ichi's with us!"

As night descended on the 11th Division training grounds, Ichigo sneezed.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Uh oh, watch out Ichigo the SWA has it in for you. Your hollow and arrancars won't be the only thing to worry about.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the R&Rs. Sorry for the long delay in updating this chapter, I had to deal with some pretty serious emotional drama and lacked focus when I was trying to write. Updates will come quicker in the future. To answer a question, no Ichigo isn't a vaizard...yet. Will he become one in the future? Maaaaaaaaaaybe. How does everyone think Ichi is going to respond to his sudden popularity among the ladies?

I don't own Bleach or any of the Bleach characters, Tite Kubo does. Any characters I do create however belong to me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Saturday morning came uneventfully for almost all shinigami. Unfortunately for Ichigo he would not be among them. As the sunlight appeared on the horizon, a certain young girl decided it would be fun to burst into his room and jump on his back.

"Good morning Ichi! Its time to wake up! Ken-chan says we're gonna have lots of fun today!"

Ichigo groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. He'd been too exhausted to even have a nightmare after he spent the entire evening running around the division with Kenpachi. By the time they'd finished up and he was shown to his room he had been so tired he fell face first onto his bed and passed out. Now after barely six hours of sleep his pink haired fukutaicho was jumping up and down on him like he was a trampoline. He suddenly had the mental image of his father laughing like a madman, knowing his son was being kept on his toes.

Muttering to himself about his predicament Ichigo rolled over to climb out of bed as Yachiru jumped off of him and onto the floor. It took only a minute for him to don the traditional black shinigami clothing and grab Zangetsu.

"Lets go get some breakfast! Boobies brings back this stuff called cereal for me from the living world and its so good!" Yachiru said with her usual children's enthusiasm as she climbed onto his shoulder like she did with Kenpachi.

_**Hey that's cute King, you already picked up a pet.**_

_Oh knock it off its too early to start with this. She probably does this with other shinigami as well._

As they entered the 11th's mess hall many of the unranked men and officers gave questioning stares at the sight of their fukutaicho perched on his back before greeting them, stares he had not received the night before when Kenpachi had introduced a majority of them to him.

_**Based on the looks you're getting I'd say that answers the question.**_

Yachiru jumped off of his shoulder and pointed out a large table at the end of the room stocked with breakfast food. Ichigo noted that they were all very traditional dishes and smelled delicious. Grabbing a bowl of steamed rice and another of miso soup he sat down at an empty table. Yachiru pulled up a chair beside him with a large bowl of colorful cereal that looked to be mostly sugar.

"Hey is that Lucky Charms you're eating? Thats what Rangiku brings that back for you?"

"Uh huh. She told me it was magically delicious and when Mayuri heard us he took a box to study it. He came back later and yelled about how it contained no spirit particles and was made of oats and sugar."

Ichigo nearly choked on his rice at the thought of Kurotsuchi in a commercial for the cereal. He could only imagine how many millions of children would be scarred for life as they watched the enigmatic shinigami chase down the leprechaun to use as a research subject.

"So what are doing today Yachiru? You think Kenpachi is going to want to fight me?"

"We're going on patrol today Ichi! Hollows have been appearing in Rukongai and Ken-chan always gets excited at the possibility of a fight. I bet with Baldy and Yumi in the living world you're going to lead one of the patrols."

"Oh great, trial by fire. I guess it could be worse, I could be spending the day hiding from you and Kenpachi."

"Don't be silly Ichi. Ken-chan won't chase you anymore, he'll just wait at the gates to our division until you have to come back to sleep."

"Well that just makes me feel so much better, especially when you sound so happy about it" muttered Ichigo as he continued to work on his meal.

As the men of the 11th finished up their breakfast Kenpachi strode into the mess hall, his commanding presence and intimidating reiatsu making all heads in the room turn towards the eyepatched man.

"Listen up cause I'm only gonna say this once. We're going on patrol today to some of the outer districts of Rukongai where hollows have been attacking. Some of them have been strong so I hope you're wide awake and itching for a fight like I am. Everyone needs to be at the western gate in an hour. There will be three groups, one led by me, one led Ichigo, and another group comprised of members of the 13th Division. I told the old man that we didn't need those paper pushing bastards but he told me we didn't have a choice in the matter."

Many of the men laughed at that statement and made some crude jokes about the fighting abilities of the average shinigami of the 13th Division. To them anyone outside of the 11th was considered sub par until proven otherwise. Ichigo was glad Rukia was not present, she would prove many of them wrong by words or by force.

Ichigo cleaned up his dishes and ventured into the courtyard to do some exercises in preparation for the patrol. With his first assignment was less then an hour away, he had a sudden desire to impress the men he would soon be leading.

--

A short time later members of the Shinigami Women's Association were already plotting after receiving news that their target Ichigo Kurosaki would be leading a patrol into Rukongai. Only the members of the SWA knew just how clever a schemer Nanao really was.

"Kiyone you've been assigned to lead the patrol for the 13th Division" Nanao paused to push her glasses up onto her nose in her trademark fashion before continuing. "You will be in close proximity to Ichigo during this mission. I shouldn't have to reiterate how important this calendar and story are to the funding of both the SWA and our trip. If it doesn't sell well, we may have to cancel our reservations for next season."

"I understand vice president Ise. I will do my best to get information and pictures for us to use."

Nanao produced a small camera from the folds of her robe and handed it to the short haired woman in front of her.

"This is a new model Nemu has obtained for us from the Research and Development Department. It has a high magnification lens which means you should be able to get some clear and crisp pictures without much effort. Out in the field you should find many opportunities. Good luck Kiyone the SWA is counting on you."

"Consider it done! This years trip to the onsen will be the best one ever!"

Nanao smiled deviously as Kiyone ran towards the western gate with the new camera in hand.

--

When the designated time arrived, shinigami from the 11th and 13th congregated at the western gate. Some milled about talking amongst themselves, others stood silently awaiting orders. When a smiling Kenpachi arrived with Yachiru hanging onto his shoulder in her customary place, the men were quickly divided into two groups. Wasting no time the 11th's taicho approached Ichigo to assign him his mission.

"Ichigo we'll be patrolling some of the outer districts. You'll be taking districts seventy four through seventy seven. The men know how to get there. I'm giving you the sixth seat to help you since this is your first time. Its straight forward, go and kill any hollows. Get your ass moving."

Ichigo nodded in acceptance to his taicho and walked to the group of shingami that had been assigned to him. There were two dozen men in total. Some were short, some were tall, and all of them had outlandish hairstyles that the 11th was noted for. One man in particular stood at the front of the group, tall and muscular with his hair shaved into a short black mohawk. As Ichigo closed in they ceased their talk and turned to him, battle hardened eyes sizing him up.

"So you're the new guy that everyone's been talking about huh?" the shinigami with the mohawk said, his tone deep and rough. "I'm the sixth seat. The names Madoka."

With the distance closed between them Ichigo took note of several other features about the man. He had numerous gold hoops in both ears, one through his left nostril, and a labret below his lip. Combined with the lightning bolt tattoos on his neck and right hand, as well as several small but visible scars he looked like your above average 11th division badass, complete with that air of danger and experience permeating the air around him.

"That name doesn't seem to suit your look Madoka" Ichigo said bluntly, more of a statement then an actual assessment.

"Trust me, I've heard that a million times before." Madoka gave a genuine laugh. "I know you're the superior officer in this group, and that Zaraki taicho has spoken highly of your skills with a blade. He asked me to watch your back and insure you find your way around Rukongai."

"Alright then. Go to Rukongai. Kill any hollows. Sounds easy enough. Kenpachi is moving out, lets not get left behind."

As they followed the first group the men passed glances to each other. Did this new fourth seat not know what he was getting into, or was he just so confident in his abilities that he was unconcerned? The men of the 11th couldn't tell.

--

The men walked in silence for the first hour, passing by the well maintained low numbered districts. Children played outside in the golden sunshine, laughing and yelling without a care in the world. Men and women attended to gardens and household chores in the yards of fabulous homes decorated with lavish furniture, sculptures, and paintings. High class bars and restaurants could be found with outdoor tables where couples shared drinks and food. Even Ichigo let go of his usual scowl at the sights and sounds of the happy community.

As time continued passing and they walked ever forward, the luxuries of the upper class districts gave way to those numbered in the twenties and thirties. Ichigo noticed people still had the amenities of an enjoyable life, but not as much so as the earlier disticts. Homes were well maintained but lacked the touches or sheer beauty that they had before. People were more cautious of the shingami as they passed by, closing windows and moving far way from their path. Thinks only looked bleaker as the trudged on.

When they passed the fiftieth district and they started to take a real turn for the worse, Madoka pulled Ichigo off to the side to talk to him.

"Ichigo, you've never been far out here have you?"

"Only twice when we were fighting the bounts, but I really didn't have any time to look around or take note of anything."

"I'm gonna give you a heads up then. Those low number districts we passed? They may as well be a different planet then the place we're headed to. Everyone watches each others backs out here. Don't trust anyone you meet."

"Is it really that bad? Certainly there's some sort of police force or something out there right?"

Madoka shot him an incredulous look that said everything. It took several moments to look over the new fourth seat before he could talk again.

"Ichigo, you're gonna learn that the afterlife is far from the ideal place most people think its gonna be."

Contemplating the older man's words, the two continued on.

--

It was mid afternoon by the time they reached their destination, the districts of the mid seventies. If Ichigo thought that the sixties were bad, he was completely unprepared for what he saw in the seventy fourth despite the warnings of the sixth seat. As he walked with the men under his command through the filthy streets, he saw a side of Soul Society he did not know existed. Groups of people congregated together near fire pits, wearing what amounted to rags. Living quarters could not even be classified as a home as most of them were little more then huts made up from whatever was lying around. People fought with each other, either with fists, daggers, or the occasional zanpakuto. One man chased another down the street with a meat cleaver. There was a corpse in an alleyway, the man laying face down from the impact of having his back slashed open. Several times he had to stop and stare at his surroundings, the shock threatening to overtake him.

What bothered Ichigo the most was the looks people gave him. Dead, empty eyes devoid of life, such an utter sense of hopelessness written across their faces. Emaciated bodies that moved like robots, shuffling past each other towards whatever tasks aided in their survival. Beyond even that there was the sickening smell. It was hard for him to describe, but the whole place smelled like feces, unwashed bodies, and burning trash.

_**It bothers you doesn't it King? I bet you're wondering how Soul Society can let these people live like this. A hollow would never subject themself to this. Look how pathetic they are, fighting over whatever scraps they can find, turning on each other when opportunity presents itself. You can be afraid of me all you want, but the fact is at least my kind is honest about who and what we are. Soul Society can preach all it wants about protecting the living world from hollows but what good does that do when they let the dead live like this? They're no better then the hollows they judge so harshly. Hell, these people would be better off as hollows, at least then they'd have a fighting chance at a decent existance. Don't worry too much, I'll kill ya and become the king before something like this could happen to you.**_

Ichigo had no answer for that other half of him, as his view of Soul Society and the afterlife had been shattered. The seventy fourth district was a disgusting place of anarchy where one could lose their life in an instant. He thought horrifically about his friends or even his family coming to such a place in the afterlife. The idea of innocent Yuzu being reincarnated here sent a shudder down his spine. Luckily for him Madoka could see he was suffering from sensory overload.

"Ya know, a lot of guys in the 11th come from the high number districts. Its bad out here, and only the tough survive. Zaraki taicho, Kusajishi fukutaicho, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and myself all hail from these parts. You've officially had your Rukongai cherry popped. You won't believe me now, but you actually numb up and get used to it."

At the moment Ichigo chose not to believe him.

--

By the time dusk had fallen on the groups, they had patrolled a large portion of their given target.

"Ichigo, are you starting to feel more comfortable yet" Madoka asked.

"In all honesty, no." Ichigo's voice lacked its usual tone, his customary scowl gone, replaced by a more guarded and neutral look.

"You'll get there. We've all been there."

Before they could continue further, a hell butterfly floated to them. Madoka reached out and let it land on his finger to listen to the message.

"A large group of hollows has appeared in the seventy third district. Requesting immediate support action from group two."

"Damn, thats where the 13th Division guys are patrolling. Not a one of em looked tough, so lets hurry. Maybe we can even get there before them and steal the fight."

The shinigami of the 11th looked to Ichigo who suddenly cracked a slight smile.

"You heard him, lets get moving and take down those hollows."

The men cheered and together they raced towards the seventy third district. Ichigo thought that a fight may be just the thing he needed to take his mind off what he had seen that day. He only hoped that the patrol from the 13th was not in any danger.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Since you're wondering, Madoka is a Japanese name that means "tranquil." Ill fitting for your typical 11th Division shinigami.

This story is still going to have plenty humor, but there will be some dark parts. I wanted to show the darker side of Soul Society since it is FAR from perfect, and I find it interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

Been while since I updated, sorry about that. This hasn't been abandoned, I've been hooked on Persona 4 and catching up on stuff.

I don't own Bleach but I do own any characters I create myself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ichigo pushed all the horrible things he'd seen in the Rukongai out of his mind as his group reached the seventy third district. People ran in all directions, looking for friends and loved ones before racing as far away from the coming battle area as they could. The high pitched hollow noises were coming in from all directions, as did the sounds of zanpakutos and kido techniques. Somewhere out there the 13th was already engaged with the enemy.

The group turned towards their leader, looking for orders. Ichigo knew what he'd do if he was alone, but now others were counting on him. He thought back to what he'd seen of shinigami operations when he came to rescue Rukia, about how they traveled in small groups to scout larger areas quickly and efficiently.

"Lets split into three groups of eight so we can cover more ground. Hit them hard and fast before they have time to consume any souls."

"Well you heard the man, lets go! Last one to kill a hollow buys the saki tomorrow" Madoka yelled, dragging off several shinigami and running towards the sounds of battle.

"Hey hey wait a minute! I don't even know if I get a paycheck for doing this!" Ichigo moaned as he ordered one group down an alley then took the remaining men and ran as fast as he could down the main street.

--

Kiyone struggled to block the large clawed hand of a rather fat beetle-like menos as it struck at her repeatedly, the solid blows driving her back. The 13th had been caught off guard by the sheer number of gargantas that opened up in the area, spilling forth hungry hollows that threatened to consume a large part of the populace of the seventy third district. Fortunately Ukitake taicho had trained the men and women under his command to pull together during a crisis and get the job done or they would have been overwhelmed by the hollow horde.

In her peripheral vision she could see some of the men under her command taking down the low level hollows, eyes darting back and forth to see if anyone got into trouble. She was proud of them for the way they had responded without fear or hesitation, ready to protect the people of Rukongai. Focusing back on the fight, she knew she couldn't afford to waste time here when her men needed her help.

The menos charged in with its claw raised as it went for a killing blow, making a quick thrust at her abdomen. Kiyone countered by quickly dodging to her left and performing a spin to slash at the beast's back with her zanpakuto. The blade caught a gap in the carapace of the hollow and tore deeply into the flesh, black fluids splashing to the ground as it emitted a high pitched shriek. It quickly turned and thrust again at her, this time its claw catching the edge of her shihakusho and shredding a large part of it. While Kiyone was not the fastest, smartest, or strongest shinigami, where was something she did excel at above almost all others, exasperating both Sentaro and Ukitake taicho. Her feisty nature and ability to go from calm to angry in a tenth of a second was legendary.

"You you you stupid hollow!" Kiyone said stuttering in rage as her face turned into an angry scowl that would have made Ichigo impressed. "Look what you did to my shihakusho! I won't be able to get another one until tomorrow!"

"You won't need to worry about it shinigami because I'm gonna eat you" it replied in a warbly voice, a black tongue sliding out of its mouth in anticipation.

The hollow charged again, this time with a flurry of overhand slashes designed to end the fight. Despite her anger she was able to calmly dodge every attack until finally the hollow overextended itself, claw slamming into the ground presenting an opportunity for her to strike. Seeing the opening, Kiyone used a shunpo to close the distance and deliver a vertical slash through the hollow's mask, destroying it. As it slowly faded away she turned around and checked on the status of her men before running off to find the next hollow.

The third seat of the 13th was unprepared for what she would see in her next opponent as she turned a street corner. A man in a white hakama and jacket smiled at her, pointing a zanpakuto at her chest.

"Looks like I've found a shinigami, time to have some fun."

The speed of the arrancar's sonido surprised her, as did the kick he placed in her midsection. With a cry her body hurled backwards from the impact, her head striking ground. The force of her landing ripped her zanpakuto from her grasp, clattering as it hit a nearby wall. Before she could move the arrancar used sonido to stand above her, placing a foot on her stomach to keep her in place.

"I see you won't be any fun. Oh well, I'll just kill you and find someone else."

As Kiyone watched the arrancar's zanpakuto swing down to end her life, she closed her eyes and thought about how disappointed Ukitake taicho would be when he heard the news.

--

When Madoka's group encountered its first hollows, everyone let out a loud war cry as they eagerly joined the battle. The men of the 11th lived, ate, and slept combat, spending countless hours honing their talents in zanjutsu. What they lacked in politeness and manners they more then made up for with their ability to destroy the opposition. Because of this, when they tore through the first ranks of hollows, some of them seemed disappointed that there were no challenging opponents.

By the time Madoka cut through his fifth hollow with little effort, he was already growing bored. While the unranked men of the 11th might find the mission suddenly much more fun, no amount of handicapping could make these type of fights interesting to the sixth seat. Like Ikkaku and Kenpachi, Madoka had earned his stripes fighting for his life in the sleazier districts of Rukongai. He enjoyed the rush of combat, the move and counter-move, testing himself to his fullest. Madoka liked it so much that when a skinny man with half of a hollow mask jumped in front of him, swinging his zanpakuto around looking bored all he could do was grin.

"You must be one of those arrancar we've heard about. I didn't think I'd actually get to fight one of ya way out here in Rukongai. I hope you're able to give me a challenge." Madoka placed his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto calmly, continuing to grin.

"Ha! Like some lowly shinigami errand boy is gonna beat me. Run home to your momma and maybe just maybe you'll make it out of this alive."

"Well then we have a problem. See, where I'm from we don't run from a fight, we embrace it" Madoka said while drawing his zanpakuto. "The name is Madoka Itagaki, sixth seat of Soul Society's strongest division, and I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Efrain Aguado. Remember it when I send you to hell."

It took less then a second for the two to use shunpo and sonido to close the distance and slash at each other, zanpakutos colliding. They pushed blade against blade, each trying to get into position to strike, exerting as much force as they could muster in a test of strength. It was Efrain who pulled back first, stepping back and freeing his zanpakuto to try and cut Madoka's swordarm. Not to be outdone a quick parry pushed Efrain's zanpakuto aside as Madoka launched his own flurry of cuts, forcing the arrancar onto the defensive.

"Hey you're not so bad afterall shinigami. Most of your little friends would've been cut down on first or second strike."

"I could say the same thing about your average hollow. Most of you don't live very long."

Efrain smiled and used sonido to dodge a strike, then reversed his direction to sonido next to Madoka and slash at his side. Madoka, sensing the movement quickly twisted his body to avoid it, the tip of the arrancar's zanpakuto leaving a thin cut through his uniform and a shallow cut on his side.

"First blood for me, shinigami" the former hollow boasted.

"Fine fine, you're fairly quick, but not as fast as me. You want to see some real speed?" Madoka stated, running his hand along the back length of his zanpakuto. "Strike swifty, Oniraigiri!"

Efrain watched amused as Madoka's zanpakuto transformed from a standard katana into a Chinese style Jian, engraved with lightning arcs along the length of the blade.

"That's a beautiful sword. Do they make those for men too?"

"Yeah laugh it up" Madoka grinned, a smile much like Zaraki's forming on his face. "Lets see if you can keep up."

Efrain lost sight of the shinigami for a second as he shunpoed twice, this time much faster then before thanks to the extra reiatsu from releasing his Shikai. One flash step came to his front as a feign, the next to his left side where Madoka delivered a brutal slash through the arrancar's hierro, cutting his side open.

"What the hell? How did you cut me so easily?" Efrain was taken aback by the sudden speed and power increase of his opponent.

"Because I'm not a weak punk like you. Congrats on making me release my sword however. It was fun while it lasted."

Unknown to Efrain, one of the abilities Madoka's shikai form granted him was the ability to condense his reiatsu into his hands to drastically increase the speed and power of his blows. It never had a chance to register in the hybrid's mind exactly what happened as Oniraigiri slashed in from the left to be blocked by his zanpakuto, only to be followed up almost simultaneously by another slash up through his chest. As Efrain collapsed to the ground, his body started to dissolve into black mist.

"Well that was fun. I wonder how Ichigo is doing."

With a smile the sixth seat ran off to look for the other members of his squad.

--

When she heard a loud clang above her, Kiyone opened her eyes. She was shocked to see the arrancar's blade held inches from her face, blocked by a rather large zanpakuto. She looked to its owner and instantly recognized the now famous shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki, her eyes widening.

"Hey there, looks like you could use a little help. You don't mind if I take over do you?"

Kiyone was too stunned by the turn of events to reply, so she nodded weakly.

"Taking over someone else's fight huh? Are you any better then this helpless girl on the ground?" the arrancar spat.

"Don't flatter yourself" Ichigo replied confidently, pushing the arrancar's sword back and causing him to back up a few steps out of the way. "This will only take a second."

Angered by Ichigo's comments, the former hollow charged in, using both hands on his zanpakuto to try and deliver a fatal blow. As the katana made its cut, Ichigo easily shunpoed a few steps aside.

"Wow, you're even slower then I thought" the former substitute mocked as he brought up Zangetsu. "Getsuga Tensho."

The nameless arrancar screamed as the wave of black energy hit him, slicing him open and throwing him into a building. Before Ichigo could move, a familiar voice rang out in his head.

_**What do you think you're doing, using my attack, and so sloppily at that? Don't you have any manners? You should have completely annihilated one that weak with such an attack. Want me to show you how its really done?**_

Ichigo felt his body stiffen, disobeying his commands to move, his hand going to his forehead as he felt a headache starting as he mentally wrestled with his other half. He did not notice the dying arrancar weakly aiming a cero at him in his last breath as the shinigami leaned on Zangetsu.

"Hey look out!"

Kiyone had seen something was wrong with Ichigo. When she saw the telltale red beam of light fired from the building at the man who had saved her, she did the first thing that came to mind and threw her body into him, pushing him out of the way in the nick of time. As they landed with his body pinned underneath her, the camera she had been hiding slipped out of her uniform and fell to the ground. Whatever gods were looking down at them that day must have been laughing as unknown to both of them the sudden jolt caused the camera to snap a picture, the lens miraculously aimed to catch the two in what appeared to be a very intimate position.

The hollow was immediately forgotten as the fact that there was a warm feminine body pressed against him sank into his head. The two locked eyes and stayed frozen for several moments, their faces just inches apart. As they blushed from the contact, Ichigo was the first to break the silence.

"Ahh sorry about that" Ichigo said unsteadily, trying to formulate an excuse. "Using that attack momentarily stunned me."

Ichigo averted his eyes and looked downward and then quickly away again, his face getting redder when he realized he had a perfect view down the front of her torn uniform. Fortunately Kiyone did not realize where his eyes had drifted as a familiar voice saved him from embarrassment.

"Well look what we got here. Man Ichigo, the taicho said you were a fast learner, but to move in on the 13ths third seat so fast, you got some balls" Madoka grinned, stepping forward and announcing his presence.

"Its not what you think!" the two shinigami shouted immediately, quickly separating from each other and dusting themselves off.

"I was just saving him from getting hit with a cero, thats it!" Kiyone had to look away as she spoke, the blush evident in her cheeks.

"Is that what kids call it these days? You sound awfully defensive if that was the case. Oh well, good thing I was the only one who saw it. It means I have some good gossip to share with the other guys over a few cups of sake."

"You wouldn't dare! There was nothing happening anyways, its just like she said" Ichigo moaned. His first assignment and already he was going to be the subject of Soul Society's gossipers.

Madoka just laughed as he walked back in the direction of the 11th, the sounds of battle having faded from the Rukongai.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well now, it had been awhile since I updated! I wrote a good chunk of this on Valentine's Day, and as such I think theres a good chance some romance may be headed in our favorite orange haired Soul Reaper's direction. But who could it be with? What do you guys think? Please drop me a review and let me know if you like it, hate it, or think this story flat out sucks!

Notes: A Jian is a Chinese style double edged straight sword.

Oniraigiri means something like "Demon lightning slash" _I think. _I'm probably wrong, so if anyone can help me with a name for Madoka's zanpakuto I'd appreciate it!


	6. Chapter 6

Well I had time today to crank out an update, I hope you all enjoy! Where is this story headed? Only the shadow knows. I'm kidding, but you'll just have to keep reading to find out! Got an idea you'd like to see in this story? Drop a review or a pm!

I don't own Bleach, but I do own any characters I create.

Remember character thoughts are _italics _while Hichigo is_** bold italics**_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a final sweep of the area revealed no more hollows, the groups of the 11th and 13th Divisions met up on the outskirts of the 75th district to camp for the night. As Ichigo rested with his back against a tree, a familiar mohawked figure approached and sat down next to him.

"You did good today. Three minor injuries and no fatalities. Our group killed at least twenty low level hollows, and two arrancar. Zaraki taicho is pissed that he missed the fighting though, you better be careful that he doesn't come asking you to fight."

"I guess its better then him chasing me all over the Seireitei" groaned Ichigo, letting out a small sigh. "I'm going to have to spar with him eventually, but I'm going to put it off as long as I can."

"Don't know how long thats going to be, when the taicho wants to fight someone as badly as he does you it tends to happen quickly and violently" Madoka paused, letting out a smile as fond memories of Zaraki's exploits came to mind. "Anyways, we'll be staying at an inn so come and have a drink with us. You haven't gotten a paycheck yet so we've got you covered for a job well done."

Ichigo watched Madoka walk away and relaxed for a few more minutes before getting up to join his squad.

--

Upon reaching the inn Ichigo could hear the boisterous partying of his squad mates emanating from the bar. After being quickly spotted by several of the more inebriated 11th members who pulled him over to where the action was taking place, they forced a cup of sake into his hand and asked him to partake in the festivities. Reluctantly the teen smelled the liquor, his nose wrinkling from the odor.

"Are you gonna drink it or are ya play with it like Yachiru does with her food?" came a booming voice behind him.

Ichigo scowled at the insult and turned to see Kenpachi with a wide grin on his face. A tuft of pink hair appeared from behind the taicho's shoulder before the familiar fukutaicho jumped through the air onto Ichigo's back.

"Is Ichi gonna drink Ken-chan?"

"He better" Madoka said walking over to the other officers with a smile. "If he doesn't want me to reveal his secret that is."

"I told you nothing was going on dammit!" Ichigo roared back, drawing the attention of the room. "Fine, I'll do it."

Everyone watched as Ichigo mustered his courage and took a big swig from his cup. He could feel the burn as the liquor raced down his throat, the unaccustomed feel causing him to cough as men of the 11th cheered him on. Madoka patted him on the back.

"You've killed hollows with us and now you had a drink with us. You're really a member of the 11th now Ichigo."

Two drinks later Ichigo was feeling his first alcohol buzz as he relaxed and actually had a good time talking to Madoka, Yachiru, Zaraki, and the others. While he already had the respect of the first three, he was deepening the bonds he now had with the men under his command.

--

Kiyone knew she couldn't afford to fail the Shinigami Women's Association. Everyone was counting on her to get pictures they needed for the calendar and cash in on its popularity. She knew where the target was staying, all she had to do was work up the nerve to head down to where the 11th was.

"Get a grip Kiyone" she muttered to herself while looking in a mirror. "So what if there's a bunch of rage and lust filled barbarians from the 11th staying there, I'm an officer in the Gotei 13. I just go in, find the cute guy, and get some pictures. Wait, did I just say he was cute?"

Thanking god for being able to locate a spare uniform and chiding herself for her thoughts, the short haired shinigami headed off to the inn.

--

Kiyone was still trying to work up the courage when she entered the seedy bar section of the inn. Ignoring several of the men's attempts at picking her up, she ordered a drink hoping it would relax her so she could approach Ichigo. Normally as a proud member of the 13th she would never stoop to such a thing, but to say she was slightly intimidated about asking for his picture was an understatement. Ichigo had only been a shinigami for a few months and already he was a legend who'd defeated two taichos and obtained bankai. After a second drink, she felt she had worked up as much confidence as she could and decided it was now or never.

Ichigo was lost in conversation when he felt someone gently tug at his arm. He was surprised when he turned to see a blonde shinigami there looking at him.

"Hey Ichigo can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure I guess." Ichigo was puzzled by her sudden interest in him.

_I wonder what this is about? Does she want to thank me for earlier, or yell at me for it?_

_**Maybe she wants to make it your lucky night King.**_

The sight of Madoka giving him a smile and thumbs up only deepened the scowl that had popped up on his face as he followed Kiyone outside and into the quiet evening. When they were away from prying ears, she turned to him.

"I'm Kiyone, I didn't get a chance to thank you for earlier." Kiyone avoided looking into his eyes, trying to make her request as easy as possible. "As a third seat of a squad that has no fukutaicho, I have to be as strong as possible to support Ukitake taicho. Its hard for me to admit, but if you hadn't shown up when you did I would have died. Thank you."

"Hey its no problem." Ichigo's scowl was replaced by a growing smile. "I'm sure anyone else would've done the same."

"There's something else I wanted to ask you. Would you mind if I took a few pictures of you? Its for a project the Shinigami Women's Association is working on, and I could really use your help." Kiyone looked pensively at him.

"Sure I guess there's no harm in that." Normally there was a good chance he would have refused the request, but the effects of the sake added to the fact that they had saved each other earlier allowed him to cave in to her demand.

Remarkably Kiyone was able to get him to pose in several positions for pictures. One had him leaning back against a wall, with a genuine smile on his face. Another shot had him leaning forward on Zangetsu, his chin held up by crossed arms. She also got a picture of his back, Zangetsu slung over his shoulders while he turned his head towards the camera. She was amazed at the quality of the photographs she was getting. Normally such a mission would involve SWA members stalking their target like a paparazzi, waiting from a distance to catch them in a compromising position. It was a refreshing change that caused her to think.

_I can't believe how much he looks like Kaien fukutaicho. No wonder he and Rukia are so close. I wonder if they're just friends or if there's something more. If I was in Rukia's shoes I'd make a move soon, before someone else in Soul Society does._

She had to admit her earlier analysis of him being cute was on the mark. Kiyone decided to go for broke in her quest to outdo anyone else shooting for the calendar. Liquor had enhanced her natural boldness.

"Ichigo, do you mind if I get a picture of you topless?" How she managed to ask so innocently would remain a mystery to her.

"What, what the hell? What do you need a picture of that for? What the hell kind of project is this for anyways!" A vein popped out of his forehead at the request he was getting.

"Honestly, its for a women's calendar."

"A women's calendar? Do you mean like a pin-up calendar?" Ichigo's veins bulged slightly more.

"Essentially, yes. It makes the SWA the money it needs to fund meetings and trips."

"And why do you want me on this calendar? I've only been in a division a day, and I don't think I'm really a full fledged shinigami, I'm sort of alive." Ichigo was now relaxing, curious about the project.

"Well, you're an up and coming presence in Soul Society, and several of us think you're cute." Kiyone had added that 'several' part, it was embarrassing enough for her to admit to him she thought he was cute. She hoped by appealing to his ego a little he'd go for it. Ichigo did blush furiously at her confession.

_**Way to go King, you stud you. She's stroking your ego now. Maybe she'll stroke something else?**_

_What the hell's up with you lately and all these sexual comments? I almost preferred you talking about taking over my damn body!_

_**I just do it cause its so easy to get a rise out of ya King. I have to keep myself entertained somehow. Sitting on my ass on a sideways skyscraper all day gets boring. Besides you're at that age now, you need to go out and get laid and get rid of some of that pent up hostility you have towards me. I mean look at the sheer amount of good looking females available. Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, Soifon, Unohana, Rangiku, and tons of other female shinigami ripe for the taking. Even this one has her charms, and she's interested in you. I still don't know how you didn't score Yoruichi in the hot springs. If you'd shown interest I think you had a good shot.**_

_You were watching that? You asshole!_

_**Oh Yoruichi, would you please close your legs and put some clothes on? I never felt so embarrassed to be a part of you in my entire existence. If our connection didn't allow me to know better, I'd wonder if you were gay. Anyways go ahead and fill this one's request, she had the guts to ask so be a man. I'll leave you alone for awhile if you do. Deal?**_

_Fine, I'll do it. Don't bother me for awhile._

"Alright alright I'll do it." Ichigo's shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

"Really, you will?" Kiyone's eyes lit up. Nanao was going to be amazed!

Ichigo dropped the top of his shihakusho to his waist unceremoniously. Kiyone blushed again as she noted how nice he looked, the battle scars giving him a curious mix of boyish but bad ass charm. She quickly took his picture before the teen could change his mind.

"Thank you thank you! This is going to be amazing."

"Eh it was no big deal. Good luck on your funding."

Emboldened by sake, she walked up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, stunning Ichigo completely.

"I hope to see you around, Ichigo." Blushing, she quickly made her way back to her own squadmates before he could reply. Ichigo found himself hoping he would.

_**Pimp.**_

_Shut up._

_--_

The next day proved uneventful for the newest 11th member. He'd managed to dodge a challenge from Kenpachi on the way back from Rukongai, Madoka took care of the paperwork since he didn't know how to do it, and no more hollows had shown up. As Sunday evening rolled around, he excused himself and headed to the Senkaimon that would take him back to Urahara's shop. Kenpachi and Yachiru had seen him off to the world of the living, where they made it clear if he didn't show up next week, they'd come and hunt him down.

Popping up in the familiar underground training facility he was immediately confronted by Rukia, his friends, and the shinigami task force stationed in Karakura town.

"Ichigo you idiot!" Rukia was yelling, her face red with anger. It was not a good sign for the former substitute. "Where the hell have you been? You've been gone all weekend with no word from Soul Society or any knowledge about what happened to you! Do you know how worried you had us?"

"Hey calm down, everything is fine. They just made me join one of the divisions and told me I need to come train and learn on weekends."

All of those present were stunned by the news. Ichigo, a formal soul reaper?

"Oh oh which did you choose, I bet you chose the 10th so you could be with me and Hitsugaya taicho!" Rangiku grabbed him and jumped up and down, rubbing her trademark breasts against him in the process and causing Ichigo to go red. She was excited at the prospect of a new partner in crime to help her slack off and push her paperwork onto.

"Actually, I joined the 11th."

Even Urahara's eyes widened at the proclamation. From what everyone had seen, Ichigo would do anything to avoid the bloodthirsty taicho of the 11th. Ikakku and Yumichika just laughed.

"Well Ichigo, you definitely made the right call with your strength." The bald shinigami gave him his famous battle grin. "You do know this means we'll have to fight again right? Did they assign you a rank?"

"Yeah, fourth seat. As for fighting you again, I figured as much. I'm going to have to fight Kenpachi eventually too."

"Hah! That puts you above Yumichika, but you're still below me." Ikkaku drew his sword. "I think I'll have to test you again to make sure you're worthy of that rank!"

"Bring it on Ikkaku! I'll just have to beat you again. Good thing there's people here who can heal the wounds you're gonna get."

Limiting themselves to shikai, the fight lasted quite awhile before an exhausted and bloodied Ikkaku agreed to call it.

When he returned home with a still angry Rukia, Ichigo was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

She noticed he looked peaceful as he slept, a far cry from what she had seen a few days ago.

"Stupid Strawberry." Rukia smiled and pulled a few strands of hair out of his face before going to the closet, happy that he was safe.

--

Nanao was working late as usual, being the most dedicated member of the Shinigami Women's Association. She was happy when Kiyone dropped off the camera and told her that she had gotten some excellent photographs of the target. When the pictures finally developed, she browsed through them to judge for herself. She had to admit Kiyone was right, these would be perfect to use in the calendar, so good in fact that it was obvious Ichigo had allowed her to take these of him. She was about to put them away when the edge of the last picture caught her eye. Pulling it out, her eyes widened.

"Oh my god."

In the darkened photo lab, the Vice-President of the SWA smiled deviously.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

NEXT TIME ON RELUCTANT SHINIGAMI STUDENT!

Ichigo's calm attitude was abruptly changed when he exited the senkaimon and a sword slashed through the air, aimed at decapitating him. His honed reflexes were the only thing that had prevented his head from rolling on the ground.

"Ichigo" came the perfectly calm voice of one Zaraki Kenpachi. "Its time for you and I to fight again." An impossibly large grin formed on the taller man's face.

Barely able to pull out Zangetsu to block the berserker's next strike, he grinned back.

"Bring it."

Ok ladies and gents, that aside, it took me awhile to get this update out, and I apologize for anyone who has been waiting. I'm seriously considering a RukiaxIchigoxKiyone love triangle to go with all the action. I've been having a little writer's block, so if you have a different suggestion or pairing you'd like or something you'd love to see in a story, don't hesitate to leave a review or send me a pm


	7. Chapter 7

Another day, another update. Wow, apparently people don't like Kiyone. Thank you for the reviews and encouragement, and trust in me to write a good story! You'll have to keep reading to find out what happens!

Godzilla2: I agree, that's why I didn't pick a second character to put at the top of the fic. It leaves people guessing. I wasn't thinking harem for this story at all. Ichigo strikes me as a very loyal guy.

ShadowWolf: I like to push the envelope. Who knows what other surprises I have in store for this?

Fangirl666 & Hikari: Thank you for leaving so many reviews.

I don't own Bleach, but I do own Madoka (he's badass too).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday came uneventfully for Ichigo, and a good night's sleep did him a world of good. Fortunately Kon had behaved himself and even had Rukia help him do Ichigo's homework assignment so that he would be prepared for class. When he arrived at the school with Rukia, Tatsuki and Orihime pulled him aside, where the karate prodigy smacked him the arm.

"Ichigo, where were you all weekend? Its like you just disappeared. You never called Orihime and I to hang out."

"Sorry about that Tatsuki. I was worn out helping my dad and it slipped my mind." It occurred to Ichigo that he was becoming much more comfortable lying to his friends. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Well as long as you have a good excuse. Everyone has noticed how distant you've been lately. You know if something is bothering you, you can talk to us right?"

"Sorry, I just have a bunch of stuff going on lately. Its nothing to worry about. Thanks for the offer though."

Tatsuki was not convinced by his words but the bell signaling the start of classes cut any further discussion of the issue.

--

The week went by uneventfully for the shinigami stationed in Karakura town. Other then the odd low level hollow coming from Hueco Mundo, it was just like any other week for Ichigo. When Friday evening rolled around, he relaxed on his bed for a few minutes before getting a small travel bag together and heading out towards Urahara's shop. He had to admit, despite the near catastrophic event with his hollow he had actually enjoyed himself last week, and was looking forward to the weekend.

"Oiy Strawberry, where do you think you're going without me?"

Ichigo turned to see a familiar raven haired noble following him as he walked towards the shop.

"Heading out to Soul Society to join my division. Where are you going?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Why?" Ichigo stopped in his tracks and turned to confront her. He definitely did not want her to witness an episode like the one that had occurred in Rukongai. If his friends, or even worse, Soul Society found out just how dire his situation was he couldn't be sure what would happen.

"Idiot, don't you think I have things to take care of in Soul Society as well?" On the flip side, Rukia did not want Ichigo to know how worried she was about him. While she had legitimate business to attend to, she also wanted to keep an eye on him. He'd been acting suspicious lately, like something was weighing heavily on his soul. Just the way he had phrased his question and so calmly at that was even more suspicious to her.

"That's true." Ichigo smiled. "Alright Rukia, lets go." Part of him was glad to have company, part of him was scared that if anything happened with his hollow he was going to put her in danger. Rukia fell into step beside him, and they quietly walked to the Urahara Shop together. After being greeted by the enigmatic former taicho, they were led to the basement where the gate to Soul Society was opened for them.

--

Ichigo's calm attitude was abruptly changed when he exited the Senkaimon and a zanpakuto slashed through the air, aimed at decapitating him. His honed reflexes were the only thing that had prevented his head from rolling on the ground.

"Ichigo" came the perfectly calm voice of one Kenpachi Zaraki. "Its time for you and I to fight again."

An impossibly large grin formed on the taller man's face. Barely able to pull out Zangetsu to block the berserker's next strike, Ichigo grinned back. When he had first joined the 11th, he had done it because he wanted to avoid this. After talking to Madoka outside the inn last week he found himself growing tired of ducking this fight. He knew his admission of avoiding it made him sound pathetic. More surprising was the battle rush now pumping through his veins. It was unlike him, but he was anticipating this fight.

"Bring it."

"Yay Ken-chan Ichi's actually gonna fight!" Yachiru danced around Rukia, obviously happy at the prospect of the fearsome warrior getting his wish.

His bold words only made Kenpachi smile even wider. It was likely the 11th was rubbing off on the teen. He had actually enjoyed his rematch with Ikkaku last week. The only thing stopping him from fully enjoying the fight that was about to occur was the knowledge that his taicho was easily capable of killing him if he made a single mistake. He may have started to develop a taste for fighting, but he wasn't suicidal.

When the two shinigami clashed again, the force of the blows caused the stones under their feet to crumble as reiatsu pushed against reiatsu. He shot a glance over to a nervous looking Rukia and a smiling Yachiru and became worried.

_They're far too close. They're gonna get killed._

"Hey you two don't stand so close! Get to a safe distance."

"But Ichigo" Rukia's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry about me. I'll just beat him and then I'll be free to help you with whatever it is you need to do. Ok?"

"Alright. Please be careful Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled and watched her grab Yachiru and shunpo away before focusing his attention back on Zaraki. His slash with Zangetsu was caught and blocked by the taicho's jagged zanpakuto.

"You'll just beat me and then go help her huh? Hah! That's good Ichigo, that means you really want to fight and I don't have to hold back!"

The next clash of zanpakuto was so violent the force blew a large hole in the wall of the building next to them. It was only going to get worse.

Ichigo jumped back and swung Zangetsu in a forward arc towards his opponent.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

The blue arc of energy flew at Kenpachi, who stood there smiling. Ichigo watched with amazement on his face as his opponent did absolutely nothing to dodge his strike. The wave of energy caught its target fully across the chest, and did almost no visible damage. The only way Ichigo could even tell he'd hit the man was the tear in his uniform, and a small trickle of blood where he'd given him a very shallow cut.

"Is that it? Is that all you got? This isn't even the power you had last time we fought. Have you been slacking off?"

Ichigo grimaced. He should have known it wouldn't be easy. If he wanted any chance at winning he was going to have to pour more reiatsu into his attacks, making him susceptible to his hollow.

"I guess I'll just have to beat it out of you like I did last time." The maniacal grin never left his face.

Before Ichigo could think of a strategy, Kenpachi had closed the gap between them once again to start raining blows upon him. For a man who didn't like to use shunpo he was incredibly fast when he wanted to be. The speed and force of his strikes was staggering, steady forcing Ichigo back down the street.

A quick thrust was parried away just enough to keep it from piercing the former substitute's head, leaving a gash along his cheek. Ichigo attempted to dodge backwards to open up room for a counterattack and was rewarded when Kenpachi's zanpakuto slid by him, nicking his arm. With Zaraki momentarily extended, Ichigo took the opportunity to slash back.

Pushing himself inside Kenpachi's guard Ichigo delivered a brutal slash upwards across the chest of his taicho, causing a nasty wound and a large gush of blood to splatter on the pavement. As he pressed on for another slash, Kenpachi went for a cut at Ichigo's side, trading solid blow for solid blow. Ichigo winced as the jagged sword tore into his flesh, while the fearsome spiky haired legend only grunted as another red line appeared across his chest.

"Excellent! Your reiatsu is still sharp, and you're able to trade me blow for blow. None of that pansy kido bullshit those wimps in the other divisions throw around. This is what a fight should be, zanpakuto against zanpakuto. Hack and slash. That's how warriors fight."

"Well I never did bother to learn any of that stuff, or how to control my reiatsu. I guess that's why they wanted me here." Ichigo paused to scratch the back of his head as the two sized each other up again. "Now that I think about it, it kind of backfired on them since I joined the 11th."

"I was never any good at being subtle either. Enough talk, lets push this up a notch. I want to see this bankai of yours that beat Kuchiki." Ichigo's eyes widened as his opponent reached up and pulled off his eye patch. The intense flare up was just as he remembered it, a spiraling tornado of pure yellow power. It was just as intimidating as the first time he felt it. A mixture of fear, awe, and excitement was swirling around in his brain. There was only one thing left to do. Pointing Zangetsu ahead of him, supporting his arm with the other, he uttered that one word.

"Bankai!" The familiar swirl of energy surrounded Ichigo as he and Zangetsu transformed, rivaling Kenpachi's raw, unchecked reiatsu. The storm slowly subsided, revealing his change of appearance and a long and slender black Zangetsu.

"Tensa Zangetsu."

Both of the men looked appreciatively at one another. With a simple nod they charged forward, a flurry of powerful slashes colliding in midair sent bursts of reishi into the nearby buildings with catastrophic results. Several smaller structures simply could not hold up against the assault and crumbled to the ground in a heap.

Unknown to the two warriors, anyone with any ability to sense reiatsu could feel the waves of power radiating off of them for miles, and it was starting to lure in spectators. Many shinigami wondered just what in the hell was going on. More then one concerned high ranking officer would be attracted to the scene before the fight would end.

--

Jushiro Ukitake was in his office discussing plans for the week with his third seats when two tremendous waves of spiritual pressure hit them. All three pairs of eyes widened at the staggering amount of power being emitted.

"Taicho, just what the heck is going on?" Sentaro stood up from his seat.

"I don't know, one of them is Kenpachi, and the other feels like" He was abruptly cut off by his other third seat.

"Ichigo!"

"What? Do you think they're fighting an enemy?" Sentaro looked ready to run out the door at the thought of an attack on the Seireitei.

"No, I don't sense anyone else to justify that kind of power release." Ukitake stood up from his desk, surprised that Kiyone had recognized the less familiar reiatsu so quickly. "The most likely scenario is Zaraki taicho is attacking Ichigo."

"Ukitake taicho!" Kiyone was on her feet, an eager look on her face. "We have to stop them! They could destroy the Seireitei, and Zaraki taicho might kill Ichigo!"

"I wouldn't worry too much about Ichigo, he's proved himself to be pretty tough and right now they feel almost even. You're right about the damage, lets go check it out to keep it to a minimum."

"Right!" Came the simultaneous reply of his subordinates.

The three members of the 13th quickly exited their headquarters and started to shunpo towards the area of battle.

--

Retsu Unohana calmly closed her eyes and let out a sigh when she felt the bursts of spiritual pressure in her office. No sooner did she stand from her chair when her fukutaicho burst into the room.

"T-taicho! What in the world is that?"

"Its just as I feared would happen Isane. Zaraki taicho is fighting Ichigo."

"With that much power inside the Seireitei? That's crazy!"

"I have a feeling that when it's all said and done, we're going to have two critically injured patients in our care." The most famous healer in Soul Society grabbed Minazuki from its resting spot and headed out the door. "I am going to go there on standby and make sure no one else gets injured in the fight. Would you like to come with me, Isane?"

Isane didn't even need to think as she quickly followed her taicho out of the divisional headquarters.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Whew, I got this update out much quicker for you all! Next chapter, the conclusion of this clash of the titans! I hope you all enjoyed! Please R&R.


	8. Chapter 8

Another day another update! I've been really motivated in the last week to write, I dunno why. Must be spring. Kenpachi is such a beast, and always fun to write. How many of you are cheering for Kenpachi, and how many are cheering for Ichigo?

HikariNoTenshi-San: Yes I meant you.

Wednesday1990: Yes, they're fighting in the middle of the Seireitei, just like last time. You know Kenpachi doesn't care about something so useless as collateral damage. I have plans to make it all work out, have faith and thank you for the review.

Don't own Bleach, just Madoka or any other OCs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soifon was watching from a distance with her fukutaicho when the barbaric leader of the 11th and the ryoka started pouring out insane amounts of reiatsu. They had been passing by the area taking care of daily business when they had felt the battle start. Curious as to the cause, they had masked their reiatsu and shunpoed to a vantage point on a nearby building where they watched the spectacle. As head of the Secret Mobile Corps, it was her duty to be informed.

"What a disgrace. Those two have absolutely no concept of restraint or control." Soifon watched nonchalantly as yet another building was destroyed. "I'm going to have to end up teaching him some control since no one seems to want to take responsibility for this disaster."

"Is he even worth your time?" Omaeda casually munched on some crackers, not really interested in the battle.

"Yoruichi-sama thought he was worth her time, and as such so shall I." She turned to look at her subordinate who was busy stuffing his face. "Besides, I seem to recall him destroying your zanpakuto and knocking you out with a single punch."

Omaeda shut up as he had no comeback to the insult, his face turning red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Even so, he had to admit the kid was strong, far stronger then he could hope to be in the foreseeable future. They continued to watch the spectacle in silence.

--

Kenpachi was having a great deal of trouble matching Ichigo's speed. While his swordsmanship was fast and deadly, Ichigo's bankai was on a level all its own. The 11th's strongest shinigami struggled to block the flurry coming at him from all directions. Zangetsu once again found an opening and slipped through to cut a gash in his shoulder. He was now sporting a dozen such wounds, while he'd only managed to land a single solid blow on his opponent since he had released his bankai. A lesser man would have been hampered by such damage, Zaraki hardly noticed.

_When the hell did he get so fast? I can't fully block him anymore. He's hit me a dozen times and I've only landed one good shot since he released. How am I going to beat someone I can't block and hardly hit?_

On the other side, Ichigo's confidence was increasing each time he landed a hit. At first he was nervous when the eye patch came off, but with his speed he was able to control the fight. That one hit that had broken through and cut open his chest had hurt like hell, but he'd been able to return it tenfold. As long as he could keep up the pace he knew he could eventually wear the man down. He likened Zaraki to a tank, but even a tank had limits to the amount of damage it could sustain before breaking down.

_**Ichigo, why are you so confident? These are my powers you're using. You don't think you'd get very far against him on your own, do you? I want to play!**_

_No! Go away, this is my fight! These are Zangetsu's powers, not yours._

_**How many times do I have to tell you, I am Zangetsu! C'mon King, let me out, let me out!**_

Zaraki may not have been the best at sensing reiatsu, but he'd have to be blind not to notice the sudden change in his opponent. For some reason Ichigo was moving slower now, occasionally taking a hand off his weapon to grab at his head. He wasn't sure of the cause, but he did take advantage of it.

Ichigo could only partially avoid a slash at his throat, a thin spurt of blood exploding from his neck as Zaraki's zanpakuto connected with his skin. He thanked god for Zangetsu's abilities to slow bleeding, someone without them would have been in danger of bleeding to death from such a wound. He didn't have any more time to ponder his luck as Zaraki broke through his defense yet again, this time opening up his left arm with a backhanded slash. A dark spot on his sleeve slowly grew in size as blood ran down his arm to drip onto the ground.

_**What's the matter King? Is two on one too hard for you? Poor baby. Let me out! I will win! You're weak, you're using my power to compete.**_

_Stop fighting me, you're going to get us killed! There's no way we can win if we're fighting each other, he's too damn strong!_

_**Let me out let me out let me out! **_

_Shut the hell up dammit! I want to win! Me, not you! Me!_

_**I'll prove to you that you're too weak. **_

Just like that, the voice in his head stopped. Surprised, Ichigo shifted his attention back to the fight, his powers harmonizing and his speed picking up again. A quick feign and a flash step had him inside the guard of his opponent once again, and with precision cut Zaraki twice more before the man's zanpakuto could move in on him for a counter. Zaraki noticed the teen's speed was back to where it was moments before.

_What the hell is going on? First he was fast, then slow, and now he's fast again. At this rate he's going to wear me down. I guess I don't have a choice. I know exactly what will catch him off guard. _

Zaraki parried a blow and moved forward, smiling like a lunatic as he started a wide arcing slash aimed at the midsection. He counted on Ichigo taking advantage of his open stance. He wasn't disappointed. Seeing a chance for a hit the orange haired teen thrust forward, expecting to be parried and countered. He was stunned when Zaraki made no move to intercept him and Zangetsu slid through the taicho's side. Seizing his chance, the Rukongai's most famous swordsman grabbed hold of his opponent's wrist, effectively trapping his zanpakuto with his body. Ichigo's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen but it was too late for him to do anything about his mistake.

Pain. Intense, mind numbing pain. That was the first thought that came to Ichigo as he looked down and saw the jagged zanpakuto buried to the hilt in his chest. His head slumped forward as he felt his lung start to fill with blood. Grabbing Zaraki's arm to support himself, his vision started to go dark around the edges. He stood motionless, his reiatsu plummeting dangerously as it took all his effort just to stay standing. In his mind, he heard a voice laughing maniacally.

--

Rukia had sensed the familiar reiatsu signatures of the 13th's officers approaching and went to meet them, dragging Yachiru along with her. When she shunpoed over to her taicho, he gave her a warm greeting.

"Hey Rukia, how have you been in the world of the living? Is everything going alright?"

"Hai Ukitake taicho, everything is going fine. There have only been nominal hollow attacks. I came to file a report and take care of paperwork."

"We could have handled that for you, but thats fine. I'm sure Byakuya has missed you. Rukia, how did this fight start?"

"He was waiting at the Senkaimon. He nearly killed Ichigo with his first swing as we exited the tunnel, he caught him completely off guard." Rukia frowned at the thought of how narrowly one of the most important people in her life had escaped a fatal hit.

"I see. I thought something like this was going to happen eventually. We'll have to step in if they get too destructive, half the buildings around them have already been destroyed. I'm not looking forward to trying to separate them though. Fortunately everyone with low reiatsu has fled the area. Lets look for a good spot to see whats going on."

Everyone followed the white haired taicho as he shunpoed away.

--

The members of the 13th had just arrived on a nearby building when a familiar green manta ray carrying two riders floated up to them.

"Do you mind if we join you, Ukitake taicho?"

"Not at all Unohana taicho. You and Isane are more then welcome to watch with us."

The strange creature landed on the building quietly and allowed its riders to disembark before slowly returning to Unohana's sheath. Unohana took up a spot next to Ukitake, while Isane went to her sister's side. The first thing she noticed was how intently Kiyone was watching the fight. Every time a blow was struck against Ichigo her excitable nature came to the surface, her facial expressions changing with the flow of the fight. She would wring her hands together nervously whenever the tide turned against the shinigami prodigy. It was most curious to her, as Rukia was doing the same thing. She could understand Rukia's connection to the teen and why she was feeling nervous, but why was her sister so interested in the outcome?

They watched intently as Ichigo's speed was allowing him to start dominating the fight. Ukitake couldn't believe how strong he'd gotten. This kid had only been a shinigami for a few months and already he was able to go toe to toe with some of the strongest leaders Soul Society had to offer. He wasn't even sure he could win a fight against the upstart, and he was one of the oldest shinigami.

"He's gotten so strong, I think he's even stronger then when he fought Byakuya" Ukitake interjected.

"Yes, but he must be careful." Unohana closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling their reiatsu. "Zaraki taicho is like a wolf, the more dangerous the opponent the more vicious he gets. Even now he's still not fighting with everything he has. If Ichigo becomes too comfortable in this fight it will be a fatal mistake."

They watched the battle go back and forth, and felt the subtle fluctuations in Ichigo's reiatsu. The taichos were perceptive enough to see his changes in speed and power, and it made them curious.

They hardly had time to consider what was causing his problems when a monumental shift in the fight occurred.

Everyone's eyes widened when Ichigo's zanpakuto pierced Zaraki and the 11th's taicho grabbed his attacker's wrist. Unohana and Ukitake had enough experience in combat to realize what was going to happen. Ichigo was helpless in front of one of the most dangerous swordsmen the Seireitei had ever seen. Even the stoic taicho of the 4th winced as they watched Kenpachi's zanpakuto explode from the teen's back in a shower of blood. For a moment Ichigo's reiatsu plummeted to almost nothing, and they feared he'd been killed.

Rukia and Kiyone simultaneously screamed his name as they saw Ichigo start to slump forward. Ukitake held them back, preventing them from charging into the danger zone. Unohana prepared to rush forward with Isane to see if they could save the former substitute's life when an explosive burst of hostile reiatsu held them back, the latter shuddering at its feel. What in the world was going on?

--

Ichigo suddenly found himself in his inner world. A familiar white reflection of himself stood before him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're going to have to be the horse for awhile. I told you that you were too weak. You almost got us killed." The hollow version of himself was giving off a creepy smile. "Stand back and watch a master work."

Before Ichigo could stop him, the other side of him vanished.

--

Zaraki looked at the spot where his weapon impaled his opponent and watched the blood ooze out from around his zanpakuto. With Ichigo's head slumped forward and his reiatsu dying down, he thought the fight was over. His only hope was that he hadn't accidentally inflicted a fatal wound. Dead men couldn't fight anymore.

"Good fight Ichigo. Yachiru will take you to the 4th Division."

As the fearsome warrior pulled back to remove his zanpakuto from his 4th seat's chest, a hand clamped tightly onto his wrist, preventing him from doing so.

"You didn't think it was really over, did you" came a higher pitched voice. "We're still getting started!"

Zaraki's eyes widened when felt the incredible burst of spiritual pressure. He had no chance to react when he was suddenly thrown back and hit by Zangetsu again, his zanpakuto coming free of Ichigo's chest and a fountain of blood spraying from his torso where he had been cut for the umpteenth time. He had to drive his zanpakuto into the ground to keep from sliding back any further. He would never admit it, but he could feel the heavy wounds and blood loss start to take its toll.

Ichigo's hollow looked towards the taicho, a maniacal grin stretching his features to their limit. The upper left side of his face was covered by the telltale white mask of a hollow. Slowly tiny pieces formed and joined with it, causing it to spread outward. The two stared at each other in a Mexican standoff, appraising what capabilities the other had left in their heavily wounded states.

_What the hell, this is just like last time. He was near death and now suddenly he's stronger then ever. Those eyes and that face! Is that one of his zanpakuto abilities?_ _This could be the strongest opponent I've ever had!_

Kenpachi had to let out a hearty laugh. Ichigo never ceased to surprise him with his ability to push him to the limit. He thought that if he could fight him more often, both of their skills would definitely improve. Just thinking about it excited his warrior instincts.

"I'm glad to hear that Ichigo!" Zaraki returned the hollow's berserker smile. "I'm going to give it everything I've got. Try not to let yourself get killed!"

Despite his wounds, Zaraki charged forward with all the speed he could muster. Sword met flesh as the two tore into each other, both sides completely abandoning defense. This was no longer a battle, it had become a bar fight fought purely on instinct and adrenaline with the winner being the one who could take the most pain and punishment.

Pavement cracked and split as their swords danced around each other, each seeking the inevitable conclusion to this fight. At least one of them was going to have to be carried to the infirmary, and neither party would have it any other way. The hollow could feel the presence of his king trying to claw its way back to the surface, and he knew he had to hurry. This was one of the few opponents who fought like him, and had his respect. Distractions could be costly.

_Give me back my body you bastard!_

_**Shut up and watch. If I hadn't taken over there's a chance you'd already be dead.**_

_This is my fight! I don't give a damn what you want. _

_**Doesn't it suck Ichigo, being the horse? Now you know how I feel when I watch you fight, not knowing if you'll screw up too badly for me to save us. You still don't get it, why you're not as strong as you could be. **_

_I don't care right now! I want my fight back, I want to win!_

Sheer force of will was what ended up saving the teen's mind as he fought with every ounce of mental strength he had left. His hollow could feel himself being dragged back into the inner world.

_**You moron, he's going to kill you! My power is the only thing keeping your body from falling apart!**_

_I'm going to use everything I have left to win. If you don't want to work with me, then get the hell out of the way!_

Ichigo's hollow was dumbfounded by this newfound courage and resolve. Usually he had to poke and prod his king to get positive reactions from him. For the first time since the shattered shaft, he was truly doing it on his own with nothing on the line. There was nothing tangible to gain from this battle, he simply wanted to win and get stronger. When he found himself alone in Ichigo's inner world, he let out a sigh. If that was the way he wanted to play it, then he was going to give him the strength to win for now.

Ichigo finally broke free and resumed control of his body. Fueled by his hollow's powers his eyes and partial mask remained, although his voice returned to normal. He panted heavily, and his body felt like lead. Kenpachi didn't look to be faring much better.

"I don't know about you, but I'm beat to hell." He smiled, this time it was friendly. "You don't look much better. I'm going to put all my reiatsu into one final attack. What do you say we go out with a bang?"

"Sounds good to me." Kenpachi grinned, his respect for Ichigo increasing further. "You ever see me fight using both hands?" He gripped his zanpakuto in both hands and pushed out all the reiatsu he had, forming a giant yellow skull full of pure destructive force.

"No, and now you're making me a little nervous." Ichigo gripped his sword in a similar manner, his own spiritual pressure forming a giant bluish black version of his hollow mask. "Here I come."

The two let out a battle cry as they charged at each other, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Each put everything they had into their swing, the zanpakutos colliding like two freight trains. If the resulting explosion of their first battle had been like a bomb, this one was like a nuclear warhead. Every building within a block of them was instantly turned to dust. Even some farther out fell apart from the strain, and buildings as far as three blocks away developed cracks in the foundations. Shinigami twenty miles away could sense the release of pressure.

Ukitake and Unohana had to use a kido barrier to protect their subordinates from being crushed, while across the way Soifon and Omaeda had to shunpo to safety as the building they were standing on collapsed. Even the taicho class shinigami were amazed at the level of destruction wrought by the two.

In the middle of the explosion two shinigami stood, each pushing with everything they had, straining themselves to the limit and beyond. It was too much for anyone to endure. Coupled with the damage they had taken earlier, they had surpassed the breaking point. Cracks started to appear on both Zangetsu and Kenpachi's unknown zanpakuto, each digging into each other until finally both blades shattered. It was almost comical when the zanpakuto gave way and the two slammed into each other from the sudden lack of force holding them apart.

Without their zanpakuto the waves of reiatsu quickly died down. Neither one moved, in fact the only thing keeping them standing was the fact that they were leaning against each other, each too weak to move. Kenpachi started to laugh, and he was soon joined by Ichigo.

"How do you feel Ichigo."

"There's a hole in my chest. I can feel blood in my lungs when I breathe. I think my ribs are broken and I ache all over, but all in all I'd say I feel pretty good."

"Me too."

Neither said anything more as they collapsed to the ground in a heap, unconsciousness claiming them both.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wow this my longest chapter yet, about 3300 words! I had a ton of fun writing this scene. Next chapter, the aftermath of the battle and the cleanup. I hope Hanataro has a large broom and dustpan.


	9. Chapter 9

Whew, that last chapter was a rush huh? If only I had the drawing skills of Tite Kubo to illustrate it you'd be in for a treat. Thanks for the kind reviews!

Proman: Its after the first Grimmjow fight but before Vizard training, so you're on the mark. Some people probably missed that at the top of chapter 1.

Elitewarr: What fun would that be if he did it so easily?

X-elemental: Because Zaraki would want to see it and he's the type who would take it as a major insult if someone held back when fighting him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When the massive cloud of dust and debris finally settled the members of the 4th and 13th raced to the scene of impact. When they arrived they found the two combatants laying facing down in a small crater, a pool of blood forming underneath of them. Isane, Kiyone, and Rukia rushed to Ichigo's side and carefully flipped his unconscious body over. Unohana, Ukitake, and Yachiru in turn went to Kenpachi. When they turned him over, they couldn't believe he was still sporting a grin even while passed out and nearly dead. Noting he was the more injured of the two the best healer in Soul Society went to work, trying to stabilize him.

Across from her Isane worked diligently on Ichigo, her main worry being the hole in his chest. She could tell he was bleeding internally, and that his lungs were probably filling with blood. There was no hope of saving him if he suffocated. Also of concern to her was the severed artery in his neck. Fortunately she knew her sister and Rukia were versed in the kido healing arts.

"Kiyone, Rukia, get to work closing that wound in his neck. Speed is of the essence, he's lost a great deal of blood." Isane pulled a scalpel from her uniform and went to work on her patient. "I'll deal with the hole in his chest."

With her decades of experience Isane deftly used her tool to cut a pathway into her patient's lung, turning him on his side to allow the blood to flow out of the damaged organ. Her positioning allowed her to hide some of what she was doing from her two helpers as she didn't need them to panic during this critical moment. When she felt his lung had been sufficiently drained she went to work with healing kido to close up the hole as best she could.

It took a few minutes for the group to stabilize the two warriors for transport. Summoning Minazuki, Unohana ordered her zanpakuto to swallow them so his stomach fluids would accelerate their healing process. The giant manta ray could also quickly transport them all to the 4th's headquarters for better treatment. Unohana had everyone climb aboard and together they flew towards their destination.

--

When Hanataro had heard about the fight and learned he had been tasked with the cleanup duty by his taicho, he looked forward to the challenge and chance to prove himself. Quickly the seventh seated shinigami grabbed his equipment, gathered his relief force, and headed out to the battlefield. When they reached the location of the brawl his eyes widened and he nearly fell over.

"Ichigo did this? I'm gonna need a bigger broom!"

--

As Ichigo woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he laying on a bed. The second was he was covered in bandages. He grunted in pain as he tried to get up, but a familiar pink haired girl put her hand on his chest to stop him.

"Sorry Ichi. Unohana taicho promised me sweets if I made sure you stayed in bed until she could check on you."

Ichigo looked around for some sort of reference to his situation. He saw the room's lone window and noted that it was now dark out.

"What time is it Yachiru?" His voiced cracked slightly from his dry throat as he struggled to speak.

"It's about 10 o'clock. It's good you woke up. Do you want something to drink?"

"I could use a little water." Seeing the cup on the table next to his bed, Ichigo struggled to reach for it. Unable to grab it Yachiru picked it up for him and held it to his lips so he could drink.

"Damn, I must've been in pretty bad shape if I was out for a couple hours."

"Silly, its Saturday! You and Ken-chan have been resting for a whole day" she giggled.

"What? Well what the hell happened after the fight?" Ichigo's voice showed his surprise. He had been severely injured before but never had he been out for long. He could only imagine what lay under the bandages.

"We all came down from where we were watching to help you. When we got there you and Kenny were nearly dead. Good thing Unohana taicho and Isane were there to help you. I'd have been really really sad if you and Ken-chan died" the little girl smiled at him as she finished, clearly happy that had not been the case.

"You mean they watched the fight? When did they show up?" Ichigo got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Right after Ken-chan took off his eye patch and started to fight hard." Ichigo's feeling only got worse.

"Who else was there?" He wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

"Ummm Ukitake taicho, Sentaro, and umm oh yeah, Kiyone was there too." Ichigo mentally cursed at her response. That was twice now the short haired blonde had been there when his hollow was coming out.

"They were there the whole time too?"

"Yep!" she replied cheerfully.

"What did you think of the fight?" Ichigo tried to sound calm and composed but he was getting nervous.

"It was awesome! You and Ken-chan looked so happy, especially after you stabbed each other!" Yachiru started to hop up and down on her seat in excitement. "After that your power felt kind of weird and different and I guess that threw off the hollow scanners because later Mayuri came to me and asked me about the fight saying his machines had picked up a really strong hollow. You're not a hollow are you Ichi?" She asked playfully, giggling like it was the funniest thing ever. Ichigo however was ready to hit the panic button.

_Shit shit shit!_

_**Don't worry about it. If we didn't feel them it meant they were far enough away that they couldn't possibly have seen our mask. Maybe.**_

_What the hell do you mean maybe!_

_**Settle down, if those are the only people that witnessed the fight then you're fine, they're the type that would back you up and chances are they were too far away to begin with. Kenpachi definitely knows something is up, but you know he doesn't give a damn.**_

"What ever gave you a stupid idea like that?" Ichigo laughed nervously, trying to play it off the girl's question. He needed to change the subject, and fast. "What happened to Kenpachi?"

"Ken-chan? He's over here sleeping."

Yachiru bounced over a curtain and pulled it aside, revealing what appeared to be a mummy at first glance. The spiky black hair with bells at the end gave away the patient's identity however.

"He woke up earlier in the day and asked how you were doing. He said he was glad you weren't dead so that he could fight you again."

"That sounds like something he'd say." Ichigo sighed, glad the conversation had shifted.

"Oh Unohana taicho told me to come get her when you woke up. Don't you move and ruin my chances for candy!"

Before he could say anything the little girl raced out the door. He let out a sigh and waited for her to return. He had spaced out, deep in thought by the time Unohana entered the room to check on him. Yachiru followed her in, her hands full of candy. The beautifully braided hair of the 4th's taicho dangled into his view as she leaned over to check his wounds and brought him back to reality.

"You two caused a lot of destruction last night. Even I was surprised." She smiled serenely as she started to check the many wounds on his body. It was one of the habits she had picked up over the years to make her patients feel more at ease.

"Ah well, I was coming over from the living world and didn't expect to get attacked the minute I left the gate."

"Understandable. However, you should be aware that Yamamoto soutaicho is extremely annoyed with the two of you at the moment and Kurotsuchi taicho is angry that he will have to divert considerable resources to rebuilding the area."

"I guess I can't blame them."

"Zaraki taicho is more at fault then you are and as such will take the brunt of the blame, I just thought you should know the situation. I used kido to repair your broken ribs last night, lets see how they're healing."

Ichigo blushed lightly as the older woman's hands moved down his body towards his stomach, carefully pulling aside the gauze to check on his healing progress. For the first time he realized he no longer had anything covering his upper body except bandages.

_**Oh wow, I bet you're enjoying this. When I take over this body maybe I'll ask her out to dinner, since I'm such a gentleman.**_

_Didn't you harass me enough yesterday? _

_**No.**_

"They're healing nicely, but your body is still very weak. You may be strong enough to return home at your scheduled time tomorrow evening if you rest. Some of Zaraki taicho's slashes cut all the way to the bone. Your friend Orihime should be able to prevent heavy scarring with her powers."

"I guess I could stop by her apartment when I return and ask her for help."

"Very good. Now that I've checked on you, I'd like you to try and go back sleep. Your body is still recovering its reiatsu from that fight. Come Yachiru, lets allow the two of them to rest."

"Alright. Oh, I have something for you Ichi! I made it while you were sleeping. You can't look until I go! Please get better soon."

Yachiru reached into her shihakusho and pulled out a folded piece of paper, carefully laying it on his stomach. Giggling all the way, she left with Unohana. Curious, Ichigo picked it up and looked at it. When he opened it, inside he found a picture labeled 'My Family.' Yachiru had drawn a surprisingly good picture of him and Kenpachi fighting while she Ikkaku and Yumichika looked on. At the bottom in red crayon it said 'Get Well Soon Ichi.' The orange haired teen couldn't help but crack a smile. Sliding the picture onto the bedside table he quietly drifted back to sleep.

--

Sunday came and so did the visitors. Ukitake, Rukia, and Kiyone showed up to check on him, the later two berating him for ten minutes for worrying them. Rukia teased him about the picture he had been given, until Ichigo fired back that Yachiru was a far better artist then she was, much to Ukitake and Kiyone's amusement. By the time they left, Ichigo was feeling much better.

Renji had to drop in and poke fun at him for causing so much damage, while Hanataro came in and told him how amazed he was by the amount of debris littering Soul Society. Kenpachi was able to get up and leave early in the morning, telling him how much he couldn't wait to do it all again. When Ichigo left the 4th Division in the afternoon, he was actually smiling. He realized he had made some truly valuable friends while in Soul Society.

He spent the rest of the day wandering the Seireitei, checking out the sights and sounds. He watched as people scrambled about, taking care of their daily tasks, each one working hard during this time of war. When he dropped by the 11th to pick up his stuff before going home, he was given a hero's welcome. Apparently a group from the division had been watching from afar, drawn there by the flare up of their taicho's reiatsu. Those men had spread the already legendary story across the Seireitei where it was simply known as "The Fight."

Bidding his newfound friends in the 11th goodbye, he picked up Rukia from the 13th and together they returned to the living world. Ichigo dropped by Orihime's apartment and shocked her with the extent of his wounds. Thankfully her Shun Shun Rikka was able to finish healing him. He left her with a smile and a thank you.

Returning home the teen slipped into his body and laid on his bed. For the first time in awhile he actually felt good, like he could beat anything. He'd withstood Kenpachi's challenge, and while it had been a draw he knew it made him stronger. He calmly drifted off to sleep, unaware that his hollow was making plans.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Don't worry, next chapter we're going to be diving back into the action. I know this one lacked the same flair as the last one. Also, Yachiru would make a great little sister/secret weapon. R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the incredible wait. I've been incredibly busy. No this story isn't abandoned, in case you were wondering. I'm gonna use some healing Kido to revive it, and try to update it once a week.

I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does etc. etc.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday was an uneventful day for Ichigo and the shinigami task force stationed in Karakura as they buckled down and resumed the routine. Tuesday however, was not. Everyone perked up when their homeroom teacher Ochi-san informed them they would have a surprise. Briefly leaving the classroom, she returned with a smile.

"Well class, I'd like to inform you that we'll have a substitute physical education teacher starting today! Please give a warm welcome to Zaraki-san."

Ichigo almost fell out of his chair in shock at her words, unsure if he had heard right. All of his friends turned their gaze to him, and then back to the front of the room as the door was opened. When the man himself stepped into the classroom, he could feel every normal student become intimidated by his presence. Keigo nearly fainted when Zaraki's gaze lingered on him.

Ichigo however, had to slam his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing when he registered the normally wild warrior's appearance. He was dressed in a white button down dress shirt, red tie, and black slacks, with his long hair down and combed into a semi normal style. Without the reiatsu eating eye patch he always wore, the man almost appeared normal. The 11th's newest member looked over to Ikkaku, who was apparently trying to catch flies with the way his mouth was gaping open. Yumichika had a little more tact, but the way he covered his mouth with his sleeve while staring with wide eyes told an observer everything. Kenpachi in business casual? What the hell was the world coming to?

"Yo. I'm Kenpachi Zaraki, and I like strong people. If you aren't strong, then you better get that way quick." The large man continued to creep out the classroom with his trademark grin.

Everyone groaned at that comment, Ichigo included. The day would be interesting indeed.

--

Before gym class the members of the 11th decided to meet up in Zaraki's new office. The taicho had changed into a more fitting outfit for the intensive workout that was to come, a gray track suit with a skull and crossbones on the back. Yumichika looked disappointed by the change of clothes.

"Taicho, where did you get that lovely outfit you were wearing earlier? You looked magnificent!" he effeminate shinigami gushed.

"Kuchiki picked it out. Leave it to him to make me wear something fruity you'd fawn all over."

"Taicho what are you doing here?" Ikkaku started. "They already have Hitsugaya taicho here. I'm kind of surprised they sent you here as well when Soul Society is short handed."

"You'd think so, but the old man is incredibly pissed off at me at the moment. More then the time Yachiru got into his office when no one was around and decided to redecorate."

"Wait, this is supposed to be a punishment? Sending you here just means you get first dibs on any arrancar fights" the bald shinigami continued.

"I know" Zaraki said with his feral grin plastered across his face. "I guess he was so angry at several blocks of the Seireitei being destroyed in my fight with Ichigo he didn't think it through. I'm more then happy for the chance."

Yumichika and Ikkaku looked at each other and smiled. With Ichigo, Zaraki taicho, and the two of them present the vast majority of the 11th's power would be represented in any fight brought to Karakura Town. Just thinking about that kind of battle made them all giddy. The only thing that kept Yumichika from enjoying it completely was a small sense that something was wrong with this picture. Suddenly he realized what, or more specifically who was missing.

"Taicho, where is Kusajishi fukutaicho?"

"I had to leave someone in charge who could control the men while I was gone. Don't worry Madoka is with her. I told her she could use your office while we were gone since mine was a mess. Now lets go outside and train these bums to be men."

Zaraki completely ignored the horrified expression on his 5th seat's face as he left to instruct his class.

--

Madoka watched as Yachiru explored Yumichika's office, playing with every object she could get her hands on. His hopes that she would get bored and leave the immaculate and color coordinated office intact and prevent an unnecessary confrontation were dashed when she suddenly showed him a tub of orange paint.

"Yumi's office is so boring. Lets surprise him by painting it!"

"Are you sure thats wise Kusajishi fukutaicho?" the older shinigami replied, hoping to sway the young officer away from her choice. "Yumichika spent quite some time decorating this place."

"But it will be fun!" Dipping her hands into the paint can, the girl jumped around the office leaving orange hand prints on the walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture. "I think it looks better already, don't you agree?"

"Of course fukutaicho" he muttered, feeling a headache building. "Ayasegawa is going to kill me."

--

Most of the students were extremely nervous as they gathered for gym. Rumors had already spread throughout the school that the new physical education instructor was a beast of a man who could break a student with his gaze alone. As the class watched, Kenpachi emerged from the school and out into the gym area flanked by the two new transfer students that had mysterious transferred in a few days before. Standing before the gathered crowd, silence descended over the scene. After several moments of looming over the students with his intimidating presence, he made his voice known.

"So what have they been teaching you kids lately?"

"Well lately we've been playing soccer Zaraki-san" one bold student ventured.

"Soccer?" Kenpachi asked as Ikkaku leaned over and briefly described the game to him since he rarely traveled to the living world. "They have you people doing that instead of training? How the hell is that going to make you stronger?"

"S-stronger? But this is gym, we're just supposed to play some games get some exercise."

"Well then I have an idea" Zaraki said, grinning maniacally while taking the wooden bokuto Ikkaku always carried with him to school. "We'll play a game and I'll train you at the same time. You can all play this soccer game of yours, but we'll add something new. I'm going to be attacking whoever has the ball. If you can dodge a sword, you can dodge the defenders you're trying to get past."

The class went white as a sheet at those words as the newest teacher picked up the soccer ball and tossed it to Ichigo who just groaned. The man obviously didn't know when to give up. When he blew the whistle signaling the start of the game all hell broke loose. With a kick Ichigo passed the ball to a wide eyed Tatsuki who had to stop and dodge a slash from Kenpachi before she sent the ball on ahead to Uryu.

Seeing the maniac bearing down on him, the Quincy unconsciously sent more reiatsu to his legs to pick up speed as he charged at the net. Before Zaraki could reach him for an attack, he shot the ball past the goalkeeper for a score. Uryu simply smirked at Ichigo when the game restarted with the ball in the shinigami's possession yet again. If anything, he was enjoying watching his rival deal with the pressure.

The game continued for most of the period until Zaraki managed to get a swing on Chad who only grunted when the wooden sword simply broke apart upon hitting him across the back. It was little consolation for the many students already sporting bruises from the unforgiving weapon. It was going to be a long week.

--

Ichigo looked over to his clock as he laid on his bed brooding. It was 5 am. The week had been hell. All of the vigor he had at the start of the week from his fight with Kenpachi was gone. Zaraki's behavior coupled with dodging his friends had not been easy. He could see the worried looks on his their faces, the way they tried to strike up conversations with him and include him in as many activities as possible. Avoiding Rukia had been the hardest. She was back to sleeping in his closet, probably to keep an eye on him and make sure he was alright. He glanced over his closet's door, wondering if she was sleeping or awake and pondering just like he was. He appreciated what everyone was trying to do, even if he couldn't currently face them. His main worry was wondering how he could protect his friends when he couldn't even protect himself. How could he possibly involve them in something so dangerous?

The idea almost made him laugh. If their trip to Soul Society wasn't dangerous then the substitute shinigami didn't know what was. No, the real answer was that it was too difficult to admit to himself the monster that lurked inside him, let alone his friends. His own stubborn pride was getting in the way. Admitting to weakness was something he could not afford. When he had first met his other half back during the invasion against Soul Society he had been confused. The being had challenged him and fought honorably at the time, and the power he received from defeating the other version of himself had helped him through Soul Society. He had used that power to survive the battle against Kenpachi and against Byakuya. It stung to think that despite his training he wasn't the one who had the strength to save everyone, it was the hollow inside. The teen tossed and turned on his bed trying to get comfortable while he continued to muse.

He thought his other half was vicious, ruthless, and cunning. It loved to harass him every chance it got. Ichigo had no doubts that if his hollow ever dethroned him he would end up killing many people who were close to him. Hollows devoured those close to them in order to fill the emptiness inside. Ichigo didn't imagine he would be any different. He had to be on guard twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It was exhausting and pushing him to the breaking point. Several thoughts drifted to the front of his mind before he closed his eyes and tried to get one more hour of sleep before school. He knew about hollows, but what did he really know about his own hollow? He'd never tried to find out more, only chase that part of him to the farthest reaches of his mind. Why did he keep running? What had his hollow meant when he told him that he wasn't as strong as he could be? Was not bankai the pinnacle of a shinigami's power? What would his hollow say if he simply asked? Ichigo found himself wishing he still had the means to talk to Zangetsu.

As Ichigo drifted back to sleep, his other side calmly laid on one of the many buildings staring at the cloudy sky. It wasn't raining like it had been earlier, but the sky was far from clear. Hearing the thoughts of his king, the hollow let out a soft laugh.

_**So you finally had the idea to man up and face me? Theres more to it then that, but perhaps there is still hope for you yet King. Maybe someday you'll stop blindly running and try to figure out the answers to those questions.**_

--

Friday evening hadn't come fast enough for Kurosaki. He had to admit he was coming to like his visits to Soul Society. If anything it was an escape from his current problems where he could be around people who did not know him well. They wouldn't make such a huge fuss over him. Despite any dangers his instability in combat might bring about it was better then hopelessly waiting in Karakura Town.

Kon was more then happy when Ichigo swallowed the pill that separated his soul and allowed the modsoul to gain control of his body. Grabbing his weekend travel bag and giving some last minute instructions he jumped out the window and headed towards the place where it all began. When he arrived at Urahara's shop Rukia and Kenpachi were waiting for him. Rukia did not look pleased as she stared hard at him with her arms crossed in a defiant manner while his taicho merely leaned his immense frame against the wall.

"Please Ichigo no trouble this time. In one week you and Zaraki taicho managed to cause so much chaos and there are rumors flying all over the place about you. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it feels for me when everyone comes to me asking about ridiculous rumors?"

Ichigo could tell she looked annoyed and frustrated with the situation. Although she wouldn't say it directly, her words were her way of saying that she cared and was worried. He sighed as he realized it was a good thing she didn't understand how desperate the situation really was for him.

"Yea yea I hear you" he replied, doing his best to play off her concerns. "What rumors are people spreading about me now? Why are you here? Aren't you assigned to protect the town?"

"I'm coming with you because someone needs to keep an eye on you" Rukia said quickly, emphasizing the word someone. She wisely chose to ignore the first question. She didn't want him getting into fights with people over rumors and possibly get him into more trouble.

"Whatever" Ichigo replied, quickly dodging her attempt to smack him for being rude before focusing on his taicho. "What about you Kenpachi?"

"I have to check in on Yachiru. Madoka and the others can only handle her so long. Besides we're all healed up, and that means we can fight some more" he grinned and started to walk towards the senkaimon followed by a groaning Ichigo.

"You two are hopeless" was all Rukia could say as she followed the two imposing figures through the gate and into Soul Society, rubbing her temples the entire time to prevent a headache. She simply wasn't rewarded enough for this kind of hazardous duty.

After exiting the gate into Soul Society the three were immediately summoned to the 1st Division headquarters. Ichigo could only imagine he was going to get chewed out by Yamamoto since the old man did not have the chance to do so the previous weekend. When they arrived, they were quickly ushered in to the elderly taicho's office. The teen noticed the immaculate neatness and many old traditional works of art decorating the place. Any other time and he might have taken several moments to admire his surroundings.

"Ichigo Kurosaki" he said, his voice stern as he gripped his cane tightly. "It has been one week since you joined the Gotei 13 and already you have caused an enormous amount of chaos and destruction within these walls. I realize a large portion of the blame lies on the shoulders of Zaraki taicho" he paused, shooting the eye patched man a glare. His target merely looked away with a neutral expression and gave an annoyed sigh, having no desire to hear this speech again. "That does not excuse your role in the incident. Part of being a shinigami is learning proper behavior as well as technique. Since it has become clear to me that you cannot get a complete education under Kenpachi, for the next two weeks you will be on loan to the 13th division. You will still be considered a member of the 11th, but you will report to Ukitake taicho who can teach you a great deal. Is that understood?"

"I understand" Ichigo sighed. Rukia promptly smacked him in the back of the head before hissing in his ear, reminding him in a not so gentle way to show manners. "I understand soutaicho" he repeated, emphasizing the older man's title. The ancient shinigami nodded to both of them.

"I trust you can lead him to the 13th Rukia Kuchiki?"

"Hai soutaicho."

"You two are dismissed. Zaraki taicho and I have business to discuss."

Bowing to her superior, Rukia grabbed Ichigo by the arm and dragged him from the office as Kenpachi stepped close and grinned at the two of them.

"Don't go getting all soft on me while staying with the 13th division Ichigo. I want you in peak condition next time we fight."

_That man really does have a one track mind._

_--_

Deep in the bowels of the sprawling Kuchiki manor several women met in secret in a hidden room.

"Writing and publishing a romance novel at the same time as the calendar really was a good idea vice president Ise. I'm really eager to read it, but you haven't told us any details about it yet."

"Don't worry Isane, it will be worth the wait. Nemu has been studying romance literature and writing the plot. She should be finished this weekend so we can start printing the books for distribution. Next week both the calendar and the book will be out. Isn't that right Nemu?"

"Hai. The information I have gathered from my research as well as interviews with those close to the subjects of the story is very accurate. I am sure it will be of great interest and many will enjoy reading it."

"Excellent" Nanao smiled whiled rubbing her hands together thinking about how much money the SWA was about to make.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well its been some time, hopefully some of my old reviewers are still out there and will let me know what they think! New reviewers welcome too!


End file.
